Way Too Awkward
by Hirikari
Summary: Jonathan had left her for college a year ago. Now, she's struggling to get over him and she's failing miserably. But will Blonde Boy succeed in making her forget? Or will he just make her uncomfortable and send her running? Two different people, two different pasts, and yet one simple wish. To just be truly happy.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo guys! Wowwwww, haven't written a fanfic since like…a year or two? So sorry for the ones who have been patient to read my other fanfics, but I just couldn't resist this little idea! Plus, I'm trying to write my own novel so I got distracted XP Anyways, enjoy!**

Clary stared out the window, watching the way a brightly colored leaf floated against the wind. It made a little journey down the tree bark and finally landed on the pavement below. More leaves followed the little one's descent, slowly making a pile of red, yellow, and orange. She sighed and rested her forehead on the cold glass. Autumn was a perfect time to run around silly in the park and playfully push your friend into the mountain of leaves. She smiled at the thought.

A year has passed. Shouldn't it be easier by now?

Well, apparently not.

In fact, the growing ache in her heart grew even more painful the longer he was away. She unconsciously clutched her shirt in attempt to suppress the depression that slowly crawled over her. She promised she would be strong, both for her and him. But sometimes the smiles felt void, the laughs seemed weak, and most importantly the efforts of finding a new guy was terrifying. Sure, the guys at school were sort of cute, but they never caught her eye the way he did.

The redhead twirled her pencil around her fingers absently. She had a strong urge to draw − at least that side of her didn't go away – but she didn't have a clue as to what to sketch. Valentine, her father, was off at work like usual. Well, even if he was at home, he wouldn't even bother to help his little girl in finding inspiration. He only went home early if he forgot his keys or something. Jocelyn Fray died when Clary was just a toddler. Her father wasn't the perfect parent, but at least with his absence, she could freely go out of the house without being questioned. Yup, that was the life.

With new resolution, she pulled on a pair of sneakers and a long green coat from her closet. Her sketchpad and pencil were tucked safely under her arm before she headed outside. The cold weather greeted her like an old friend as she strolled around the neighborhood. Yeah, the scenery was gorgeous, but she wasn't in the mood in drawing trees with almost no leaves.

Her feet dragged her across memory lane. They had walked these streets for years, and last year, Jonathon had left for college. It was so much lonelier without him. He'd ruffle her hair when she did something stupid, or steal her snacks when she wasn't looking, or dump a pillow at her face to wake her up in the morning.

She spotted one of her favorite cafes across the street. A large grin broke on her face when she inhaled the sweet aroma of chocolate, and ran inside the inviting warmth. People chattered around, waiters calling out orders to each other, and the sound was surprisingly pleasant to her.

She walked up to the counter.

The boy in front of her didn't seem to notice as he idly played with his phone. She never saw him here, so he must've been new. He had curly blonde hair, golden eyes that sparkled with mischief, and a ridiculously tall body that easily towered her small frame. She felt a little out of place with her red hair, emerald eyes and childish freckles.

Clary cleared her throat. "Excuse me?" She said.

Finally, he took his eyes off the screen, looked around, but only got a confused look. "Lower your eyes," She muttered with an irritated voice.

His gaze fell to her impatient one. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there!" He casted her a flirtatious smirk that made her blush a bit. "What can I get you, little girl?"

"I am _not_ a little girl. I'm sixteen for crying out loud!"

The blonde's expression turned doubtful. "Uh, yeah, whatever you say, kid. Anyways, what do you want?"

"Hot chocolate."

He chuckled as he went to prepare her order. A couple of minutes later, her delicious drink came into her grasp. She quickly paid for it, but before she could go find an empty table, she heard him call, "You really should've ordered some milk for those tiny legs!"

A few snickers sounded behind her as she flushed deep red. Clary glared at him and he returned it with a wink. Thinking he wasn't worth it, she quickly sat down and laid out her sketchpad on the table. The sweetness of chocolate melted in her stomach while she was thinking of something to draw. The poodle sitting on the bench seemed cute, and the bird perching on one of the branches also seemed interesting, but they didn't call to her or anything.

Clary's eyes drifted to the blonde boy at the counter. He was looking at her with his smirk plastered to his face. Being the adult that she was, she stuck out her tongue at him and focused on the task at hand again. Well, that new guy _was_ attractive. And without thinking too much on it, she started sketching.

But what she wasn't aware of was when he suddenly dropped himself on the seat across from her a few minutes later.

"You were staring at me," He suddenly commented.

"I…what?" Clary wasn't the usual one to stuttered, but his words surprised her so bad she literally couldn't think.

"A kid like you checking out a hot high school guy like me. Oh, what will your parents say, dear girl?" He winked at her when she yet again blushed.

"I was not checking you out!"

"You so were. And by the way…" He snatched the pad from her fingers and scanned it with an amused look. "Aha! You even drew me!" Clary forcefully took her book back. "But seriously, is my hair that curly? Should I straighten it or something?" He made a show of fingering a lock of blonde hair.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble for flirting in the middle of work?"

"Nah, Luke's used to it. Besides, he can't afford to fire me. Since I came here a couple of days ago, the place has been buzzing with new customers! Well, girls mostly, but still customers."

"You must be so proud."

"Well, loving yourself is an important part of life."

"There's a fine line between 'loving yourself' and 'thinking you're a god'."

"Eh, same thing."

Clary rolled her eyes before standing up, her supplies in her arms.

"Whoa, where're you going?"

"Where there isn't a guy who flirts every five minutes."

"Actually, I flirt every two minutes. But hey, if it helps you sleep at night, let's go with that."

The redhead groaned loudly. What was this guy's deal? Wasn't he aware that she wasn't interested? Yeah, she drew him, only because he looked unique. His awesome hair got her attention, really. But no way was she getting herself caught up with this troublemaker. "Goodbye, you flirt." She stepped out of the café, immediately missing the warm cup of chocolate. Well, she could always get another tomorrow. Hopefully, Blonde Boy wouldn't be there tomorrow.

Yikes, was she ever wrong.

The day after, he was waving at her from the counter as she walked in. Apparently, her luck pretty much sucked. So it was either: Going home in the freezing air, or get over the hot blonde and finally have something to warm her up?

She chose the first.

But before she could turn on her heel, large hands cupped her shoulders and guided her back inside. She didn't have to look up to see who it was. "Flirt, what are you doing?" Clary demanded. She was pushed down so she had to sit on the same chair from yesterday.

"You can't seriously be choosing the cold instead of me, Red," He pouted. Wow, he was cute even in that ridiculous expression.

"Yep, that's pretty much it. So, can I go now?"

"No way. Are you buying another hot chocolate or not?"

"Do I have to put up with you?"

"If you're feeling lucky, darling."

"Thank goodness my luck is terrible, then. Okay, Blonde Boy, give me the hottest chocolate you've got."

Much to her surprise, he laughed and sat down. It was de ja vu in a not so funny way. His chin was resting on his knuckle as he grinned at her. "Where's the hot chocolate? All out?"

"Nope. You said 'hottest chocolate I've got' so, here I am! I'm the hottest thing around here, babe."

"Blonde, seriously, I got school tomorrow. I have to get my chocolate before I have another rough week of torture in class."

After a little pushing and kicks, he finally got back with a familiar white cup in his hand. When Clary reached out for it, he pulled his arm back, effectively getting the delicious thing away from her grasp. "Not so fast, Red," He smirked. "First, you gotta give me something in return."

"Dude, I paid you already!"

"No, money wasn't what I meant."

The shorter girl huffed. "What do you want?"

"Ah, there's a long list of that, really. World domination, the 'sexiest man alive' title, the best hair gel in the world−"

"I don't have all day!" She reached out again, but the cup slipped right out of her fingers. Why did she have to be so small?!

"Okay, jeez, you short-stuffs sure have a temper," He cleared his throat and held out his free hand to her. She stared at him like he was trying to give her a dead rat. "I'm Jace Lightwood, future king of the universe. And your name is?"

"Uhh…" Her name? That was all? Huh, weird guy, but okay. She took his hand awkwardly. "Clary Fray, future queen of sketches."

And then she finally got her hot chocolate.

**Yeah, short, I know. If I get no reviews, then I won't continue. So, please tell me what you think and I'll update as soon as possible ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, so far so good, eh? Okay, since I got a few reviews already, I'm gonna continue this little guy! Alright, Hope you guys enjoy!**

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A hand slammed on the button of the alarm clock lazily.

Monday already? Did the universe hate her?

Yawning, Clary sat up in bed. The weekend flew by so fast. How come school had to be five days a week and weekends are only two days? Whoever invented that must've been one of those school lovers – which she certainly wasn't.

Her tired eyes landed on the green numbers of her clock. She had to rub her eyes and take a second look to really believe the hour that spelled on it.

7:15?!

"Crap!" She screamed. Her short legs guided her to the bathroom and just five minutes of cold water, she sprinted down the stairs with random clothes on, and made a dash for the door. But she stopped abruptly when she remembered something important: her backpack was in the living room! She cursed loudly, thanking God Valentine wasn't around to hear the unladylike word come out of her mouth. In her haste, she accidently knocked over a vase off the table. The furniture came toppling down just next to her foot and sending shards of glass scattering across the floor.

"Can this day get any worse?!"

Right on cue, just as she tried to pick the remains up, the edges sank into her palm. Clary yelp as a small bead of red formed on her skin. She looked at the clock above her head to see she was missing three minutes of class already! And just her luck, it was Mr. Pangborn's English class. The guy threw a fit just because a student sneezed during his lecture!

Okay, stupid vase can wait!

She grabbed her backpack and ran to school in high speed. She glanced worriedly at her wristwatch. Ten minutes late! Why the hell did the stupid alarm go off so late?! She was returning the thing as soon as possible. Well, assuming she was still alive after Mr. Pangborn's class. Yeah, it would be an earful, no doubt about it.

She pushed opened the door of Alicante High School. The hallways were deserted, much to her relief. If Clary tried to push pass the big students, she would likely be crushed to the size of a sandwich. A door with the word "English" on it was on her left and she pushed it open with such force the wood banged against the wall, silencing everyone inside. All eyes were on her as she stood there, her hand still on the knob like an idiot.

"Ms. Fray, so nice of you to join us," It was Mr. Pangborn to speak first. His short and chubby figure stepped up to her with a furious expression. Oh, God, she was so dead. "Have you finally decided to come to class after lying around in bed all morning?"

"Umm…" Clary gulped. "I'm so sorry, sir. My alarm clock−"

"Ah, the old 'my alarm clock wasn't working' excuse. Really, Ms. Fray, is that the best excuse you can give?"

"But it's true!"

"Yes, I'm sure it is. Now, I−"

A slender hand knocked on the door Clary was still holding open. She whipped around to be face to face with a tall girl with long black hair, black eyes, and clothes that boys daydream about. The girl seemed awfully bored as she scanned the room and finally looking at the man studying her with disapproval.

"Sorry I'm late. My alarm clock wasn't working." She said coolly.

Ha! Everyone used that excuse!

A few whistles and whoops sounded from the boys who were practically drooling over the black haired girl. Clary, who was standing at the same spot the whole time, finally stepped away and slipped into an empty desk. Huh, who knew you could be saved by a hot girl in death heels?

The man took no interest in Clary anymore as he crossed his arms and tsk-ed at the new girl. "You must be the transfer student Principal Imogen had informed me of." He said, not at all enthusiastic about it. "It isn't a good first impression when you come to class late on the first day of school, young lady."

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Her heels clicked and clacked on the tiled floor as she made her way to the front of the class, facing everybody with a confident grin. The poor teacher stared at her in horror when she abandoned him there. "Okay, so, here's the deal. I'm Isabelle. I'll be in your class for first period from now on." The classroom erupted in a series of cheers and claps. With a flip of her hair, she strode off to the available seat which, by the way, was located directly next to Clary's.

Isabelle stuck her hand out to her after Mr. Pangborn got over his shock and went on with his lesson. Clary shook it and said, "Thanks for saving me back there. I swear, my ears were burning from his constant yelling."

"No problem. The guy seems like a pain in the neck to me, too. So, redhead, you have a name?"

"Clary Fray. And I'm assuming you're the oh-so-confident Isabelle?"

"The one and only. Say, I could use a tour guide later on. Mind helping?"

"Sure, I'll give you a tour. Though, just a tiny tip, I think you better bring your lunch from home next time, 'cause the lunch lady here is even scarier than Pangborn."

Isabelle shuddered. "Ugh, I wish I listened to_ that_ suggestion when my brother warned me."

"You have a brother?"

"Three, actually."

"Damn, your life's hard."

"You have no idea. I'll introduce you to two of them, if you want. Little Max is at another school."

"Well, I can't wait for that. Uh-oh, Mr. Pangborn's giving us the death glare. We better shut up or else he'll have a heart attack."

"Oh, I would pay to see that."

The two girls had their short tour around the building. Isabelle was especially horrified by the smallness of the mirror in the girl's bathroom. On the bright side, she didn't seem to be a boring person. Everywhere they went, she got winks and 'call me' signs from the passing guys. It was only the first day and she was already the most popular girl in the entire high school.

"Can't they get a bigger mirror or something? I mean, the little thing in there can't be a mirror!" Isabelle complained.

Clary could only laugh as they wondered around the halls for a minute. Their next class was in a few more minutes, so they had time to chill out. Suddenly, Isabelle waved at someone from down the corridor. He had black hair, blue eyes, and there was no doubt he was her brother. He walked over to them quickly. "Clary, this is Alec," Isabelle said. "Alec, this is Clary."

The boy, Alec, waved shortly. "Hey."

"Hey." Clary smiled politely.

"Say, Alec, have you seen Jace anywhere?"

Whoa, wait, JACE?

"No, I haven't seen him since this morning. Oh wait, there he is. Hey, Jace! Come over here for a sec!"

Oh no…no no no no no!

Just as fate would have it, the Blonde Boy walked calmly over to them, girls giggling as he passed. When his eyes landed on her red hair, he froze for a second but was quickly replaced by a devilish grin. "Oh, Clary, was my presence from the days before not satisfying enough? You went out of your way to go to the same school as me – how sweet and creepy of you!"

"What? Clary, you know my brother?" Isabelle questioned. Alec looked just as curious as he looked at her and Jace and back again.

"Oh − uh − well we – that is um−"

"Yeah, Red and I have met. In fact, we have a date this weekend."

"What the−"

The bell rang, signaling it was time for class.

"Look at the time! I better get going." Alec walked backwards awkwardly as he tried his best to stay out of Isabelle's piercing glare.

Jace smirked before pulling on Clary's elbow, leading her to History class. Isabelle stomped her foot at the floor, maybe even leaving a crack on the tile. Poor floor.

"A date this weekend?" Clary exclaimed. "Are you trying to get me into Izzy's bad books? Or even yet, are you trying to ruin my life here?"

"Calm down, Red. Sheesh, you're a loud little girl."

"I am not little! And how did you know I have History?"

"Oh, you're in the same class as me? Wow, the universe must really be kind to you."

Clary dumped her bag at one empty desk. Jace, in turn, seated himself on the seat next to her. Monday seriously sucked. "Listen, you flirt! You better tell Isabelle that it was a big misunderstanding and we are certainly _not_ having a date this weekend!"

"Hmm…nah."

"What do you mean 'nah'?!"

"Well, Clary honey, 'nah' means 'no'. You really should fix that poor vocabulary of yours. It's a miracle you can get into English class."

"Stop being annoying and tell her already!"

"There's nothing else to tell. I work at that café every weekend for some extra cash. And since you love the hot chocolate there, I'm guessing you'll come by again so I'll just consider it a date." He winked at her, much to her anger. But before she could land a blow to his perfect face, the teacher came in.

Clary growled and sat down with a huff.

**A little short? Sorry, but I updated in only one day! That's gotta be something, right? Anyone?**

**Okay, I'm waiting for reviews again. If I don't get maybe…10 reviews, I don't think I'll update :3 **


	3. Chapter 3

**WOW, I was not expecting so many followers and favs! Well, the reviews haven't reached 10 yet, but hey, it seems that a lot of you guys out there like this baby! So, kiss kiss, hugs hugs, and review review!**

When History had ended, Clary literally jumped out of her seat and dashed out the door.

The little blonde headed jerk! He kept stealing her pencils, winking at her when she glared at him, and just basically being the most annoying man on the planet! She couldn't believe she had to see him there every day. Was he deliberately making her hate him even more? Yup, that must've been it. Ever since she met him at that café, he has done nothing but harass her into hell.

She turned the combination on her locker, but when she tried to pull it open, it got stuck. She tried again, but the small metal door wouldn't budge. She looked up at the ceiling, raised her arms up dramatically, and said, "Seriously?"

"Well, I _seriously _can't imagine what's got your pants in a twist, Fray."

She whirled around to find the annoyed face of her best friend, Simon Lewis. "What did the light bulb ever do to you?" He continued, playfully pouting. "It's not like it ditched you to_ hang out with an amazingly hot girl today!"_

Clary stared at him in confusion for a second until realization dawned on her. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Si! I forgot to talk to you this morning."

"What?" It was his turn to be confused. Then his face lit up in understanding. "You thought I was mad because you didn't say 'hi' to me? Of course not! Well, yeah, I'm a bit annoyed now, but that's not the reason!"

"Uhhh…Okay?"

"I'm mad because you didn't introduce me to her! I mean, I saw you giggling−"

"I do not giggle, Lewis!"

"Whatever. Anyways, I saw you _laughing_ with her in the hallway. Dang, that girl is fine!"

"Apparently, all the guys here think that. She just got here and they're bowing down and kissing her feet."

Simon had a dreamy face as he rested his back on her locker. "I would love to kiss her feet."

"Disgusting, Si," Clary pushed him away from the thing shielding away her Biology homework. She worked on it for an hour and a stupid locker wasn't going to ruin her chances at a C+! She turned the combination carefully and pulled. Nothing happened.

"Damn it!" She punched the cursed door, immediately wincing and whimpered slightly as she flapped her hand in front of her. "Ow ow ow ow…."

The geek next to her burst into laughter as he watched his best friend whining like a kid. Clary glared at him for a minute before turning towards her foe. I will defeat it someday, she thought. She pulled on it again, only with much more force. The hinges creaked at the sudden movement.

"By the way, Fray," Simon interrupted. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to get my locker to open – what do you think?"

"But, that's not your locker."

"I know it's not – wait. WHAT?"

"You _do_ realize that's locker number 305, right? Yours is locker 306, right next to it."

The redhead stared at the number stuck on top of the locker door above her. 305. She slowly started to work on the locker next to it. It clicked open easily on the first pull. "Huh," She blushed furiously. "I guess I got the wrong locker."

"Ya think?"

"I wonder whose locker I almost broke."

Right after those words escaped her mouth, she spotted Isabelle making her way towards her. She still had a little hint of a glare in her eyes, but she didn't say anything as she stopped next to her. She turned the combination on locker 305.

"Isabelle," Clary said cautiously. "Is that your locker?"

"Uh-huh. Locker 305." To her disappointment, the taller girl still sounded angry.

Simon, like the smooth guy he is, reached out a shaking hand out to her. "I-I-I'm uhh…m-my name's…that's uhh…" He looked at Clary urgently. "What's my name again?"

Isabelle only rolled her eyes and laughed before pulling on the door handle. The hinges made a final creaking sound before it fell lose from the wall. "What the hell?!" Isabelle screeched as she looked at her locker that was now door-less and the door in question in her hand.

"Well, I'm gonna go get someone to help you on that, Iz," Clary made a quick escape away from the hysterical girl. She pulled Simon along with her incase Izzy figured out the culprit.

"Really," He mumbled. "What's my name again?"

Thankfully, there wasn't a single Lightwood in her Biology class.

It went on fast, and she got a B on her homework. Oh, yeah! You're the man, Clary! Uh, the woman. Meh, whatever.

She skipped happily into the cafeteria. The food there, of course, was the most horrible thing there is in Alicante High School. Luckily, she remembered to bring a sandwich. Simon, though, wasn't very lucky.

"How could I forget my lunch bag in Rebecca's car?!" He whaled. "It had bacon in it, too!"

"Bacon for lunch, Simon?" Clary questioned. They quickly found a seat in the busy cafeteria and sat down.

"What? You know I love the stuff!"

"O-kay. Well, you can have my sandwich."

"Huh? But−"

"It's Ms. Fairchild's porridge today. I doubt I can hold anything in once I take a whiff of it. Who puts orange juice in porridge?!"

"Ah, that explains the yellowish color," A familiar voice said.

Clary groaned at the same time Simon's jaw dropped. The new students – the Lightwoods – suddenly decided to join them in their table. Isabelle sat next to her, Alec next to Simon, and Jace squeezing in between the two friends. Clary didn't know what was worse: An annoyed Isabelle on her left, or a flirty blonde on the other side of her. Simon looked utterly baffled, but otherwise ecstatic that Izzy was sitting on the same table as him.

"I told you guys to bring your lunch," Alec said. "But nooooo. You had to play it cool and not bring a brown paper bag with you."

"Brown is so out, Alec," Isabelle commented. "Everyone knows black is totally in right now."

"Plus, I don't find the idea of bringing a bag that people use while they're hyperventilating very fantastic," Jace added.

"Fine, I get eatable food and you guys get yellow porridge," Alec shrugged and started chewing on his burger.

Isabelle and Jace stared down at their plate in disgust before slowly pushing it away.

"We're still here, guys," Clary waved her hand unsurely.

"Oh, we know," Jace grinned.

"So…what brings you over?"

"We're having lunch – sort of – and we need a table."

"But there are still a few empty tables…"

"Oh, baby, I'm just merely sitting with my favorite redhead," He scooted a little closer to her. She scooted away in return. "Does our love mean nothing to you?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Clary wrinkled her nose when she caught the smell of the sickening food. "Ugh, I'm so glad I didn't eat anything."

"Hold on, I got something," Alec dug around his bag and produced a can of Coca-cola. He tossed it to her and said, "Go ahead, I'm not a fan of sodas anyway. Max must've accidently slipped it in here instead of his."

Clary smiled widely at him before opening it and taking a quick gulp. She caught a glimpse of Jace as she kept sipping. He was smirking down at her. She slowly lowered the can and gave him a questioning expression. He shrugged. "You drink funny."

Clary was absolutely horrified. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, you're excused, baby."

"Who are you to critique the way I drink?"

"Chill, Red. It wasn't an insult."

"It sure sounded like one!"

Jace let out a laugh before he reached into his pocket. A second later, he was holding up a pen that had a bunny cap on top of it and even more tiny bunnies dancing along the stick. Clary's face lost all color as the others stared at it with stifled laughter. She quickly snatched it away when they finally let out a full blown guffaw. Even Simon, who was staring unblinkingly at Isabelle for fifteen minutes, cracked up.

"You ran out of class so fast I didn't get to return it," Jace chuckled.

"You are a Devil incarnate, Jace."

"You love me anyway, honey."

"I do not!"

"Tell that to the sketch version of me in your notebook."

"How did you−"

"I prefer watching you draw my beautiful face instead of looking at a History book, dear Clary."

"I hate you!"

"Awww, I love you, too!"

**Hahahaha! I had a ton of fun writing this! I hope you enjoyed it like I did! Sorry it's short!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I can't believe this! I just updated the third chapter yesterday and an hour after that, I checked, but it didn't get posted to the top page! No wonder so little people read it :'(  
Well, anyways, I figured I should keep continuing and hopefully the malfunction won't happen again.**

The sun was already setting when Clary exited the school's gates.

Stupid Ms. Fairchild and her stupid complaints. The lunch lady had lectured her on and on about not making such a fuss about a bunny pen. So what if she dumped her soda on top of Jace's head?! The guy drove her so furious she actually stood up, grabbed her can and tipped it upside-down on top of his blonde mane. He had looked at her like she just ran over his dog. Unfortunately, the tall and grumpy woman saw the scene and immediately stepped up and told her to stay after school in the cafeteria to clean up the dishes and she would not go home until every single plate sparkled.

It didn't do any good for her cut palm. She almost forgot she had knocked over the vase earlier until the skin stung when she made contact with the sponge. And she had to clean over a hundred plates! Oh yeah, scrubbing contaminated food off dishes was loads of fun!

She sighed as she tugged her backpack securely over both her shoulders. She wasn't going to Garroway Café anytime soon. Spending her time with Blonde Boy constantly making fun of her while trying to relax? Haha. Yeah, no.

Simon would've given her a lift with his sister, Rebecca, but since she was so late they couldn't pick her up. Her wristwatch showed that it was 5 pm. Damn lunch ladies.

She just turned to the direction of her house when a car horn blared behind her. She jumped and spun around, only to find her least favorite boy smirking at her. Jace stood casually next to a black car as he watched her face contort into a scowl.

"I thought you'd need a ride," He walked over until he was right in front of her. Clary crossed her arms stubbornly. "Oh come on! You're still mad?"

"Yes, I am, you jerk!" She sneered.

He raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine, jeez. Look, at least you got sticky coke all over me, so can't we just call it even?"

"You humiliated me!"

"It's just a stupid pen! It's not like you're the only one with girly stuff in their bags."

"Okay, then what about the stupid date thing? Izzy has done nothing but turn her head away whenever I try to explain!"

Jace rolled his eyes. "That's just Izzy. She's not a cheerful five-year-old when she finds out one of her friends are hooking up with me. Says it's gross and awkward."

"I am not hooking up with you!"

"Whatever makes you feel better. Now, are you gonna play nice and come with me?"

"I don't care what you say or do. I am _not_ getting into that car."

He glanced back at his vehicle and then back at her. He raised a perfect eyebrow at her. "I'm not gonna kidnap you, Red. Just consider it as a peace offering or something."

Clary stuck her tongue out to him and walked away, leaving him staring at her retreating back. She heard the car door open and close before the engine roared to life. Good, she thought, he's finally leaving. But much to her shock, the black car moved slowly beside her, matching her short strides. Jace lowered the front window to show off his award winning grin. She fumed visibly and picked up her pace. The annoying car followed her still.

"Seriously!" She yelled. "When are you going to leave me the heck alone?"

"Oh, maybe if you just let me be a man and drive a little girl home safely."

"First: I am not a little girl. Second: I am _still_ not a little girl. And third: what makes you think I trust you?"

He suddenly hit the brakes, causing the tires to squeal loudly against the road. Clary froze as well. "I get that I'm just a jerk who flirts as a hobby, Clary. But, if there's one thing about me that's particularly pleasant, then it's being truthful." His stare bored into her at the same time she felt a tinge of guilt for saying such a thing to him in the first place. "I'm not a liar."

She locked her gaze with his and she felt like she was floating. His eyes were wide and curious, but there was a hint of hurt in his golden orbs. He wanted an answer from her, she realized. But her throat felt too dry to make a proper sentence. And the way he was looking at her, the way his fingers drummed against the steering wheel in anticipation, made her feel like she was getting buried with a mountain of grief.

Clary shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Her backpack felt like it gained ten extra kilos as she tried desperately to make a sound. She managed it somehow, but it came out in a weak squeak. "I know."

His brows furrowed for a second. He didn't hear her. She cleared her throat and repeated, "I know you're not a liar."

Okay, have you ever had the feeling like you were showered with cotton candy and all those sweet stuff? Or you were swimming in the sky and through the soft clouds? It felt just like that when she saw his grin spread across his features. "Get in the car, then!"

Clary let her own grin show. She shook her head once before jumping into the passenger seat and let out a quiet laugh. "What's so funny?" Jace asked as he turned his keys in the ignition.

"You're definitely not a liar, but you're the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

They drove in silence after that. It wasn't the normal awkwardness that they've been so common with. It was somewhat nice and relaxing. His fingers thumped quietly on the wheel as he took them from street to street. He'd occasionally ask where to turn next, and she answered it with a joke at the end of it. Yeah, it was definitely a weird situation. Just a few minutes ago, she was plotting her revenge against him. Now, she didn't want the ride to stop. In fact, she would tell him to take a different route from the one she was used to only to make the trip a little longer.

Whoa, what just happened there?

She mentally slapped herself. It's just my imagination, she chanted in her mind, only my crazy mind making crazy thoughts. Is Jace Lightwood hot? Oh yeah. Is Jace Lightwood smooth with the ladies? Definitely. But is Jace Lightwood a good boyfriend? Hell no!

The familiar white walls of her home loomed in front of her. Clary tugged at the blonde's sleeve, signaling him to stop. His foot pushed the brakes gently, the car lurching to a stop. She hopped off and made a half circle around it until she stood at Jace's window. "Thanks for the ride," she said.

Jace winked in response. "Anytime, Red."

"Oh, by the way," She stepped closer to him. "Why were you waiting in front of the school anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"You looked like you were…I dunno…waiting for me."

"Nahh," He shrugged nonchalantly. "I was heading back home after stopping by the convenient store to get more shampoo. Damn, that coke could really stick."

She looked down at her feet. "Sorry about that."

"S'okay. Anyways, I probably should get going. Later, little girl."

The black vehicle raced down the street before she could start yelling at him. She sighed, but a tiny smile was fighting its way onto her face. She dismissed the feeling in attempt to keep herself sane. When the front door was opened, she was instantly greeted with an old friend that always accompanied her in that building: Quiet. Her father was on a business trip to Canada (or was it Washington this time?) and he wouldn't be back anytime soon. Valentine's company had miraculously made itself into one of the most famous industries in the state. Yes, she was proud. Yes, she was happy for him. But if you asked her if she was comfortable with it, she would say 'no' in a blink of an eye. It took him further and further away from her in each passing day. Even before the company was popular, her father seemed so distant to her. With things so busy now, she almost never saw him anymore.

Clary had plopped herself onto her bed. She opened her sketchbook and flipped from page to page, her fingers stopping when the drawing of a boy with soft curls hanging loosely over his head and a mischievous grin on his lips showed up. He was such an annoying guy. But there was something about him that made her curious. He seemed…closed off. As if invisible walls were keeping him away from the world. Or that he was caged inside a cell without allowing anyone to visit him. He looked almost depressed.

Her phone rang inside her backpack.

She quickly took it out and a tiny gasp escaped her lips when she saw the name on the screen. Without a moment of hesitation, she pressed the green button. "Jonathan!" She almost shouted.

"Hey, babe," His low and calming voice came from the other end. "Missed me?"

**Done! Hehehe, did you like the new chapter? Review if you did!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so I got a review asking about Jonathan. To make things clear: JONATHAN IS CLARY'S BOYFRIEND. Yup, you heard me. Boyfriend. But don't worry, this is still a JaceXClary fanfic ;)**

Clary's excited green eyes searched the hallway for any sign of his messy brown hair or his oversized glasses. Since the phone call had happened, she literally couldn't sleep from so much joy. She just _had_ to let it out somehow and the only one who could face her fan girl wrath was none other than her poor best friend.

Yeah, she knew he was a male, but she couldn't think of anyone else to talk to.

Finally, she spotted Simon trudging towards his locker across the hall. Without thinking, she shrieked, "SIMON!" and lunged at him until they fell in a heap on the floor. A few students stared at and laughed at the unusual friends. Simon, who was underneath the tiny girl, rubbed his throbbing head.

"Jesus, woman," He moaned. "You can't wait until I at least get to my locker?"

"No time!" She hurriedly pulled him upright, ignoring the snickers from other teens. "Jonathan called me last night!"

His brows furrowed. "Uhhh…so?"

"_So,_ he told me he's coming back for Christmas!" She jumped up and down and squealed. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!"

Simon banged his forehead on the wall behind him. "Please tell me you didn't just tackle me in the middle of school just to say _that._"

"Simon!" Clary feigned hurt, placing her hand over her chest. "My girly butterflies are serious business, I'll have you know!"

He rolled his eyed, but she caught his smile before he turned and scowled. "But still, there was no need for violence. The geek inside me is very hurt, Fray."

"Sorry, Si. I'm just so excited. Jon hasn't come over in months! I really miss him around, you know?"

"But you guys, I dunno, split up after he went to college, didn't you?"

"Well…" Clary swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "Yeah, we did. Long distance relationships are pretty ugly so we decided to stop things. It's temporary, I know it is."

"Okay, listen," Simon slung his arm around her shoulders before guiding her over to the lines of red lockers. "I get that you're hurt about that. But he _did_ ask you to move on if you can't handle it."

"I can. It's just, sometimes I feel really alone."

"What am I? Bacon?"

"Alright, what is it with you and bacon?"

"It's the food of the gods! Wait, we're getting off track here. The point is, Christmas is in almost two more months, Clary. A lot can happen."

"But he said he already double checked and he _will_ come. We pinky promised!"

"Let's say he came on Christmas. Let's say he stayed for a week or two. What would you do?"

"Obviously, I'd try to spend as much time with him as possible. Maybe even try to convince him in trying long distance."

"Exactly. Once he leaves, what will you feel?"

Ouch. That hit a little too close to home. Didn't he know she realized that? She couldn't make Jonathon stay forever. She knew that the moment he kissed her goodbye. She knew that the moment he showed her the pamphlet to his dream college. And with their three year gap, she knew it'd be hard. They had begun dating when she was in her third year in middle school. She was naïve when she finally asked him out on their first date. She was selfish when she asked him to kiss her goodnight. And she was foolish to have fallen in love with him.

But Jonathon was different. He didn't care that she was younger, or the fact that he got limitless jeers from his friends. So, they had continued their relationship until he graduated high school. She had cried for a week after he left. Now, do you folks understand Simon's worry heart? Yes. Yes, you do.

"I'll be stronger," Clary promised.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. "Just remember that I would definitely kick his ass if he makes you cry one more time."

"Thanks, Si. I knew I can let my fan girl out with you."

~0~0~

Mr. Pangborn was staring daggers at her ever since he stepped through the door. Was that man seriously holding a grudge against her? She just missed a few minutes of his class! Can't he let that one thing slide?

"Psstt."

Clary ignored it.

"Psssstttt."

Was there a gas leak?

"PSSSSTTT!"

Her head turned to the side and saw Isabelle staring intently at her. "Thank you for finally noticing," She said.

"Sorry," Clary replied sheepishly. "What's up?"

"I'll just cut to the chase. I believe in you."

"Um…is this a confession?"

"No, you idiot! I meant: I believe that you don't have a date with Jace. Your performance in the cafeteria pretty much proved it."

The shorter girl let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. I swear, there's nothing going on between him and me."

"I figured that."

"So…lunch later?"

"Definitely."

The bell rang, signaling it was time for Clary's History class next. She got her book out of her locker, slammed the door shut, and instantly jumped when she saw Jace standing right next to her. He had a weird emotion dancing in his eyes. "So," He whispered.

"So," Clary repeated.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Huh? Well, yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

He leaned his back slowly against the locker next to her. He was staring straight ahead when he suddenly said, "You're a weird girl."

WHAT?!

"And you're a womanizer!"

"Clary, I'm not picking a fight with you."

"You sure look like it!"

"At least I'm not the one attacking the opposite sex down the floor."

"You are so – what? How did you know?"

His eyes snapped back to her in shock. "It's true?!"

"Um, kinda."

"God, you're even weirder than I thought!"

"Hey, watch your tongue, Blonde Boy!"

He backed away dramatically. How could he be so adorable when steam was streaming out of her ears? "I didn't know you would bluntly kiss someone to the ground with all those eyes on you!"

"Okay, rewind! I did _not_ kiss him. He's practically a brother to me. And I tackled him because I was overloading with girly feelings. You wouldn't understand."

"Ew."

"Not that kind of girly feelings, damn it!"

"You know what? I am officially grossed out and let's not bring it up again if you value your locker door's cleanness."

"And you say _you're_ grossed out in this conversation?"

**Short, yes, I know. But I'm super busy with homework so I couldn't do a longer chapter. So sorry, guys! Let's make a deal: The more reviews/favorites/followers there are, the longer the chapters will be! :D But don't expect it to be a fast update.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE BELLLOW :3**

"What is _this?"_ Jace pointed to Clary's bandaged hand.

"Huh?" For a moment, Clary was puzzled. Then, her eyes followed his gaze. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. Now, what happened?"

"I got attacked by evil glass, if that's what you're asking."

Jace's eyes narrowed. When he did that, his eyes turned a little darker – from light honey shifting into solid gold. Those mesmerizing pools of color held her in their grasp like a prisoner. Even if she was given the way out, she doubted she would take it. The feeling of them roaming over her was intoxicating, addictive. She's never seen such soft yet warm eyes like those before. Jonathan had brown eyes, which she liked of course, but Jace's were different. It's as if−

"Clary," His voice interrupted her train of thought. "You're spacing out."

It took a few blinks and a tiny pinch to her arm until she was fully back to reality. Damn Lightwood and his amazingly hot eyes, and messy yet the cutest curls on his head, and don't forget those perfect muscles –

DAMN LIGHTWOOD!

"Um, sorry," She cleared her throat pathetically. "I was listening to…uh, the teacher?" She glanced desperately at the man sitting on his chair, snoring quite loudly as he waited for them to finish up…well, whatever they were supposed to do.

Blonde Boy grinned despite the obvious lie. "Yes, hearing the joyful snores of a pudgy man does do wonders for someone."

"Hey, watch this," Clary quietly ripped a tiny portion of her notebook, rolled it into a ball, and took aim.

"Whoa, wait a minute," He grabbed her wrist before she let the ball fly. Much to her dismay, her heart skipped a beat. "You can't do that."

"Okay, why? Don't tell me you're actually a softy."

"What? Oh, sick! No way in hell! What I meant was: with your hand like that, it could never go in. Let the master show you how it's done."

Clary raised her eyebrows at him. "You? Throwing paper balls into a teacher's mouth?"

"Uh-huh. I even had a contest with my buds back home. Now, give it." He plucked the small object into his hand, and once he got an angle, he threw. It spun and spun and spun in mid air, then finally hit his nose and bounced into the gap between his teeth. The older man sputtered for a second before spitting the thing out. The two teens dropped their face into the very interesting textbook just in time. They heard his faint mumbles of confusion and continued to his snoring.

Jace held his hand against his mouth to prevent a guffaw. Clary was doing the same. "What'd I tell ya? I'm the master!"

"You got mad skills, bro."

"Oh, that's not the only skills I have, babe," He scooted his desk a little closer to hers. She noticed some girls were glaring daggers at her. "I have, ah, ways with the ladies as well."

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "You don't say."

"Oh, yeah." Another scoot closer. "I could show you sometimes."

"Um…Jace…"

"What?" He was directly beside her now. His hot breath fanned over her reddening ear. "Are you shy, Red?"

"That's not…"

"It's okay, Clary. I know you're actually into me. There's no need to fight it."

His nose brushed the back of her ear. She shuddered in the process. "Jace, I mean it…"

"You mean what?" His sly hand had somehow found its way around her waist, effectively pulling her closer to him.

"That I…I need…"

"Hmm?" And the instant his lips made contact with her skin, she finally pushed him hard enough to send him and his chair a few feet away. The look on his once playful eyes turned to an emotion she was sure almost no one saw on him.

Hurt.

Jace Lightwood, the man who chased girls for his amusement, was staring at her with that heart wrenching expression. She willed herself to turn away from him. Her fist held her chest to keep her beating heart to slow down. This is Jace, she reminded herself. He doesn't care what I feel. He doesn't need to know I have someone else waiting. All he needs to know is that I'm not interested. Opening her eyes, she focused on the swirling patterns of her desk. She was hyper aware of all the whispers and stares she was getting behind her back. But she needed to calm down.

For what felt like a millennia, the bell roared inside the room. Students picked up their bags and left, the teacher still sleeping contently in his chair. Clary, however, was the first one to be out the door. Her legs were short, but with each step she managed to take herself further and further away. The distance was somewhat the thing she needed then. It seems like it was always her true companion, her constant. The distance overtook her and her mother, her father, her ex-boyfriend, and even now it was following her. But the difference was: she _wanted_ it. She just wanted to keep her distance long enough to gather herself. She was weak, she knew that. Sometimes, being away from curious eyes helped her.

Panting, she stopped at the parking lot of the school. Lines of different kinds of vehicles filled the area. And most importantly, it was empty. No janitor, no teacher, and definitely no Jace. Her back slid down the wall in defeat. She sat there, curled up and her head in her knees. If Jocelyn were there, she would wipe away the flowing tears and tell her it would be okay. But Jocelyn was dead. No one would comfort her.

Clary looked up and saw the sky darkening. The sun was hidden behind the clouds. Yes, that's what it felt like. Clary was the sun, and all her obstacles in life were the clouds. She wanted nothing more to shine, but all those things blocked her desire. The only thing she could do was to wait obediently for the storm to pass. No matter how much she shone, no one would notice.

Carefully, she unwrapped the white bandage from her palm. The skin underneath it was still red with thin cuts, but she didn't pay it any attention as she held it out in front of her just when the first few drops of rain poured down. It started out as a small drizzle until it slowly grew into a storm. Her clothes were soaked through, her sneakers disgustingly squishy, and her hair was plastered onto her forehead. The sting on her hand and the coldness around her body made her feel. When her problems were getting piled up, she did everything she could to feel something. And that something was usually pain. The sweet ache distracted her from everything else.

Her fingers curled, the tips of her nails digging into the cuts, making them wider. A speck of red erupted on them, but she loved the stinging sensation. It was already distracting her. She forcefully dug her nails deeper, earning a small whimper in her throat. But she didn't stop. She didn't want to stop.

The sound of thunder made her finally scream. Either it was because of the pain, or the shock, she had no idea. The wind picked up, whipping leaves around in a blur. She knew what it felt like to be those leaves. She wanted to just float calmly towards the ground, but almost everyone and everything caused her to lose track and fall into the depressing mud.

After a few more seconds of relief, she let go of her throbbing skin. Small lines of blood ran down her arm. "Shit," Clary mumbled. Quickly, she wrapped the now wet bandage around the wound and went back into the building. Thankfully, the others were in class. Not caring that she was trailing rain water behind her, she gathered her stuff from her locker. She paused a moment to rummage around and finally found her phone.

After dialing his number and waiting a couple of seconds, his whispered voice entered her ear. "You _do_ realize I'll be dead if the teacher sees me making a phone call, right?"

"Sorry, Simon," She tried desperately to hide the chattering of her teeth due to the cold. "I need you to cover for me when a teacher asks where I am. I'm not feeling good, so I have to go home."

"But…it's raining out there…"

"I'll just run fast."

"Clary – crap, I've been caught. Okay, I'll cover for you. No – wait – I was just −" _Beep beep beep beep…_

Clary sighed before flipping her phone into her backpack. Yeah, she felt bad for getting Simon in trouble, but making it up to him would have to wait. She was in no condition to endure hours of boring lectures. Now, trudging in the middle of a freak storm, she felt numb. Her legs moved automatically. Her eyes were lost. She just needed to get home, plop herself onto her bed and cry her frustrations out.

What she wasn't aware of was Jace, gazing at her worriedly from the classroom window.

**Alright! So, I've been thinking of letting you guys in on a little game!**

**Describe Clary Fray in one word! The most interesting will win a spoiler of the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Uhhh…wow…sorry for the late reply guys ^^;  
(Whoa, put those weapons away people!) okay, just so you guys know, I have been so busy lately with school and whatnot. And I'm supposed to master the art of rap (weee…) for music class.**

**I'm sorry again folks, but I didn't have time to give out those spoilers…  
(Wait wait wait, put that sword down!) BUT I **_**am**_** going to make this a long chapter so…forgive me?**

The tired redhead pressed her back against the door.

Clary was shivering from head to toe due to the awful weather outside. Thunder boomed, making her yelp. Light flickered through the window as another strip of lighting shot across the sky. She knew she was trailing a river of water behind her, and that she would have to mop it up sooner or later, but she didn't think about it at all as she climbed the stairs. One by one, her feet touched the steps. Another clap of thunder sounded all around her, making her grip the banister until her knuckles turned white. She passed a few private doors her father had specifically told her not to open, a few photos of her deceased mother on the wall, and then finally she reached the white wooded door.

The knob turned easily in her shaking hand. She figured getting a cold wouldn't be good, so she quickly stripped down and entered her shower. The hot water bounced off her chilling skin. Clary didn't move, but instead let the relaxing heat engulf her. Steam billowed around her like fog. The sound of the sprays hitting the floor was all she could hear.

She touched her fist against the wall in front of her. Where was the comfort when she needed it? Jon was out of the city, her father was maybe out of the country by now, and her mother wasn't even alive anymore. Simon was an option, but he was in class and couldn't be bothered. Her best friend since elementary school was the only one who she could actually talk to. But let's face it. Simon was a clueless geek sometimes.

The water ran cold.

After turning off the shower and getting dressed, she walked out of the bathroom. Her eyes drifted to the big door leading to her father's private office. Her fingers twitched in curiosity. Many times before, she had wanted to burst the stupid wood open, but she never had the guts to. Her father's loud voice still rang in her ear whenever she got close enough to the room.

"_By the Angel, Clarissa, I forbid you to open that door."_

"_But father, what are you hiding?"_

"_Something that you are not supposed to see. If I catch it open just a crack, then you will have to face the consequences."_

The conversation she had with him years ago never left. He didn't exactly say it like a threat, much to her surprise. It was more like he was warning her. Since then, no matter how curious she was, she could never bring herself to turn the damn handle.

Clary suddenly let out a loud sneeze. Ah great, she thought, I'm coming down with a stupid cold. She was running her finger across her nostrils just when the doorbell rang. She briefly dismissed it, thinking it must've been the second sneeze affecting her ears. But then it rang again. And again. And again.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you!" She hollered. She bounded down the steps quickly and flung the front door open. "Look, my dad's not here so you could just−" Her words were cut off abruptly. At first she thought it was another crazy salesman or one of her dad's employees. In reality, the one standing on her porch was the geek she knew and loved. "Simon!"

"Yo, Fray," Simon wrapped the tiny girl in his scrawny arms. "How's my little sketch girl?"

"I'm currently battling the viruses that are threatening to make me sick."

"Aww, poor thing."

"I know."

Simon released her. "Holy mother of bacon, you look terrible!"

"Wow, your words give me so much hope."

"S-Sorry, it's just…you look beaten up…"

"Humor me."

"Well, your cheeks are flushed, your skin is paler than usual, and your eyes are dull−"

"Never mind, your humor doesn't entertain me."

He sighed in defeat. "Listen, let's talk inside." He gently ushered her into the vast living room in the centre of the house. Being the gentlemen-ish guy Simon was, he dropped himself onto the sofa, his heels landing on the edge of the coffee table. Oh yeah, that's real gentleman-ish.

Clary settled onto the space next to him. "I thought you had class."

"Puh-lease! As if my fragile ears could stand another hour listening to a sixty-something-year-old woman babbling on about geography."

Clary managed a laugh. The comment about Simon being a clueless geek? Scratch that – he was the sweetest geek there was. "You ditched just to come over here?"

"Clary, you were running in the middle of a storm without an umbrella or even a raincoat! I got worried."

"I'm fine, Si. A little cold, but fine."

Simon narrowed his eyes on her. His feet thudded to the ground as he straightened up his posture. Uh-oh, this could not be good.

"Hey, I know I'm a guy and everything," He started slowly. "But you can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

Clary shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, of course."

"Then what happened earlier?"

"It was nothing, I promise."

"I don't buy that, Fray."

"Simon…"

"Was it your dad?"

"No."

"Jonathon?"

"Not him, either. I was having a rough day, that's all."

He grunted, clearly annoyed.

"But, how did you get here? It's raining and all that."

"Robbed a bank and got myself a Ferrari. Why?"

"Lewis!"

"Fine. I hitched a ride in Lightwood's car."

"You mean Alec?"

"Uhh…no, I don't think that's his name."

Clary's heart suddenly stopped beating for a second. "Please tell me it was Izzy."

"I wish."

"YOU DROVE HERE WITH JACE?!"

He flinched so hard his glasses nearly fell off the bridge of his nose. "Darn it woman, my fragile ear!"

"Answer me, Lewis!"

"God, so what if he drove me? Do you prefer if I walked?"

"I'm seriously considering it. How could you stand being in a cramp space with him?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell ya that much. The guy's worse than my grandmother!"

"Please tell me he's _just_ driving you over here and he's not planning on picking you up."

"Uhhh…"

"What did you do!?"

"Rebecca will kill me if she found out I ditched! I had to ask Eric to cover for both of us."

Clary slapped her forehead. "You expect him to cover for us?"

"Truthfully, no. I think he's gonna blow it and get the three of us detention."

"Fantastic."

"Anyways, about Jace…"

"If Rebecca won't kill you, I will. Now spill before I take out my 2B pencil and poke your eyes with it."

"Sheesh, you're violent as a kitten. Well, I was in the cafeteria when I saw the beautiful Isabelle, making her way to the old lunch lady with a tray of something bubbling on top of it."

"Sounds incredible."

"Oh, you have no idea. Alright, after that I felt pretty bold and sat two tables from her! She even glanced at me!"

"Si, I love you, but can you please get to Jace?"

"Tough crowd. Okay, blah blah blah, and then I heard her ask Alec where Jace was. I had originally thought he said 'sparkling pot' but thanks to my brain I managed to discover he was actually in the parking lot. What really got me curious was when I heard him say your name."

"He said my name? Are you sure?"

"I'm definitely sure. I didn't catch the sentence but I'm 85% sure he said 'Clary'. So, I went out to the parking lot and talked to him. He said he saw you run out into the streets and he wanted to check up on you."

Clary's mouth felt dry. Jace Lightwood? Coming to check on her? No way. That was not possible. She had hurt him in class, and then he said he worried about her? "Umm…what were his exact words?"

"He said 'I saw Clary run out into the streets and I want to check up on her'."

"Very helpful, Si."

"What? He said that! Well, he also said he managed to get your address from the teacher's office. I think he said something about winning over the teacher? Anyway, since I wanted to see you I jumped into the passenger seat."

"So, where is he?"

"I dunno. After he dropped me off, he said he needed to go somewhere and he'd be back later."

"Just what I need. Can't you call him or something?"

"For what? I need a ride, Clary!"

Before she could protest, the doorbell rang again. Her body fell rigid.

Simon pointed to the door. "Gonna get that or what?"

"I didn't hear anything."

Another ring.

"I'm pretty sure it's Jace out there."

"It could be the milkman."

"Milkman ring doorbells?"

The ringing sounded multiple times.

"You know what? I'll get it." Simon rolled his eyes before opening the front door. "Hey, man. Come on in. Clary's a bit loopy in the head, but otherwise fine."

The door closed behind them. Clary sat still on the sofa, not daring to look up.

"Earth to Clary." Simon called. "Jace's here, if you haven't noticed."

"Simon," Jace's smooth voice echoed in her ears. "Could you go make some sandwiches for us? I get the feeling Clary's hungry."

"Uhh…sure?"

She faintly heard her best friend's footsteps getting further and further away.

Aw, damn it.

Jace sat down carefully beside her. He kept his distance from her when he set down something onto the coffee table. It was a Styrofoam cup. "I stopped by at Garroway Café and got you some hot chocolate."

Finally, Clary's eyes flickered to his. Their gazes locked for a minute, just looking at each other but nothing in particular. His grin was nowhere to be seen. What replaced his alluring smile was a line forming between his brows. He really was worried about her.

It took all her willpower to break eye contact. Her fingers wrapped around the warm cup. She was very aware of Jace's stare boring into the side of her head as she drank the sweet chocolate. The last drop entered her mouth, but she wasn't ready to talk yet. What was she supposed to say? "I'm sorry" couldn't really cut it. But what else was there?

Shockingly, Jace was the first to break the silence. "Did you do it because of me?"

Clary stayed quiet.

"I asked you a question. Did you run through the freak storm just to get away from me?"

She gripped the cup tighter.

"Answer me, Clary."

His patient tone did nothing to ease her. The beating of her heart was crazy. Her palms were sweaty. The few drops of tears were forming at the corners of her eyes.

She heard him let out a slow breath. "I won't touch you, if that's what you want. I'm a flirt, a selfish guy, and many other bad things. But not even the jerk inside me is cruel enough to make an innocent girl cry." He attentively reached out his hand for her. "Friends?"

Her hands were still shaking. Her vision was still blurry from the unshed tears. Somehow, that wasn't what she wanted. The word "friends" was foreign when it came to Jace. She didn't know what to call him. He was a different sort of guy. The arrogant blonde she had formed in her mind wasn't the same as the boy looking at her right then. His eyes held an apology she never saw on anyone before. Deep down inside, there was something trapped within the layers of walls and barriers he built. The shell was thick, she knew that much, but she wasn't denying the fact she wanted to break it down. She wanted to find the imprisoned boy he locked away for some reason.

Though, looking at his awaiting hand, she needed more time. The walls were starting to crack. Maybe time could permanently free him. And maybe, just maybe, she could help.

Clary shook his hand slowly, the grin she missed slowly appearing on his lips.

**Phew! Okay, I can't promise you a quick update from now on, but I'll try to do my best. Until next time! And oh! Before I forget, there seems to be a few people who still don't get this fact:**

**JONATHON IS NOT CLARY'S BROTHER, BUT HE IS HER (EX)BOYFRIEND!**


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys could never guess how many cookies my family's making for Chinese New Year! I mean, there are like half a dozen kind! And they're sooo good….**

Isabelle was running all over the place.

The girl moved so fast, Clary had to blink a few times to ease her aching eyeballs. Mr. Pangborn was late to class, so Izzy had used the free time to talk to the others. Clary's brain only caught the words "my house", "fun" and "parent free". Yes, she was a total art geek, but even she knew that Isabelle Lightwood was going to throw a party at her place. The girl _lived_ for fame.

If she was honest, she kinda wanted to be invited. She _had_ gone to a party or two, but they were middle school parties. She was in high school! Parties at those ages are totally wicked. Well, so she heard. But neither she nor Simon had been invited to the cool kid's house. Girls who would be there on every good party in the world would be Kaelie and Seelie, the school's most popular cheerleaders. Or maybe even Maia the hip-hop dancer. Those, girls, though, she most despised. She secretly thanked God that she had no classes with them.

Even when lunch had started, she got no word from Isabelle about the party. Sure, things were okay between them now, but she supposed the idea of having a redhead nerd in her party would ruin the mood or something. Though, that didn't stop her from drawing a sad face on whatever food Ms. Fairchild served that day.

Simon looked up from his glasses when he noticed the depression oozing out of her. "Last week's cold?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm over that."

"Then, why do you look like you're dying?"

"Ha ha. I'm just not in the mood for," She held up a spoon topped with something green, "whatever this thing is."

After the bell rang, they dumped their trays into the bin. Before she went out the cafeteria, she caught sight of the Lightwoods. Isabelle looked like she was pumped for the party. Alec made a face of disapproval. Jace…well, Jace was Jace. He only had that grin plastered to his face. Every so often, he'd wink at some passing girls. This made Clary clench her fists. What made Seelie, Kaelie, and Maia better? Clary had looks. She was cute.

Then she actually looked down at her body. No curves. No shape. No height.

Right. She forgot those details.

Jace hasn't met her eyes in about a week, too. Since their whatever-you-call-it meeting at her house, he seemed so far away she couldn't reach him no matter how far she stretched her hand out to him. He would flirt with those cheerleaders, make a sarcastic remark to the History teacher's face, or just play it cool and not pay attention. They hadn't talked in awhile. He didn't even steal her pencils during class anymore. She remembered his promise to keep his distance, but she didn't realize he meant he wouldn't interact with her at all.

It hurt her a little every time new people came into his life, while she was somewhere in the outcast crowd. They'd be in his circle of friends, while she wasn't even in the same room with him, much less in the same world with him. She was a nobody, while Jace Lightwood was everybody's star. Stars aren't friends with nobodies, she thought bitterly.

Now here she was, sprawled on her couch with her sketchpad. Her fingers had worked overtime with this particular drawing. It might've been her best artwork. The picture showed her, at the far end of a hallway while a boy was surrounded by fans at the other. You all know the popular boy in the sketch, am I right? Yes, that's correct. It's Jace Lightwood, luring people into him with his devilish grin. Clary? She only watched from afar, trying to give him the space he suddenly built between them.

The sky was dark outside. The faint sound of crickets hummed in the air. It made her relax. Well, until her phone blared alive.

She jumped at the buzzing sound from the vibrating contraption on the table. She quickly snatched it up and brought it to her ear. "Clary here."

"CLARY!"

She instinctively brought the phone away when the high pitched voice shrieked. "Uhh…who's this?"

"It's Rebecca! Listen, do you have any idea what happened to Simon?" The girl asked worriedly. "He has a black eye!"

"What?" Clary jumped. "HOW?!"

"I don't know! He said he got into a fight…"

"No way. Simon's not like that. He doesn't pick fights unless−"

"Clary, it's fine!" Simon's voice came in. "Becky's just over reacting!_"_

"That black eye is the size of China!" Becky countered.

The two Lewis siblings went into a sort of spat at the other end. "Guys!" Clary finally cut in.

"Sorry." They both said.

"I'm gonna come over. I'll be there at ten."

"Wow," Clary mused. "That is one big black eye."

Simon groaned, placing the bag of ice on his throbbing eye. His glasses were nowhere to be seen. "It's no big deal."

"Simon Lewis!" Rebecca yelled from across the table. "I've been asking you over and over again. WHO DID THIS?"

"Becky," Simon pleaded. "Chill, I don't want you to come banging on the guy's door and have a chat with his mom or something. That'd be a total break down for my ego."

Clary rolled her eyes. "You can't expect us to let this slide, Si. Whoever punched you−"

"It was Jordan Kyle, okay?" He suddenly blurted out.

For a minute, the girls were quiet. Rebecca's large glasses slipped down her nose, but she didn't move to shove it back up. Instead, she jumped onto her feet and made a wild dash for the keys.

"Whoa, Becky!" Simon waved his hands in front of him frantically. "Relax!"

"Where are you going?" Clary questioned.

"To kick the guy in the face for hurting my baby brother!" Then, her dark brown hair was the last thing they saw before she slammed the front door shut behind her. Five seconds later, the same door opened slightly, Rebecca's embarrassed face peeking inside. "Who's Jordan Kyle?"

"Maia Robert's boyfriend." The two teens answered.

Rebecca winced. "Tall, muscular boy with the tattoos?"

"Got kicked out of a couple of schools." Clary added.

"I think he got into the police station once." Simon continued.

The older girl went fully inside, closing the door much quieter than last time. "I believe a more…peaceful way would do the trick."

"Ya think?"

After she seated herself back on her chair, facing the two friends, Simon finally explained, "I kinda forgot my Fairy Tail manga in Jace's car the other day, so I figured I could've come over to his place and get it back."

"Wait a minute," Clary cut in. "You last got into Lightwood's car last week, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you just remembered it now?"

"Uh-huh." Clary paused before nodding her head for him to continue. "Alright, since they're holding that mega huge party, nearly everyone in the block knew about it. The music was so loud I could hear it from the bus station! I managed to get to his house, but unfortunately I met Jordan Kyle, making out with Maia." He shivered in disgust. "I guess I killed the mood by coming, so he sort of…ya know…" He gestured to his bruised eye.

"He uppercut you just because you saw them kissing?" Rebecca inquired.

"Pretty much."

Rebecca was going for the keys again, but Clary beat her to the front of the living room. "Where are you going?" It was Rebecca's turn to ask that question.

"To Jace's place, duh." She threw her coat around her petite body rather clumsily. "I'm gonna give those jerks a lesson."

"You can't do that!" Simon yelled.

"You'll get squashed!" His sister added.

The feisty redhead just rolled her eyes, smirked, and slipped out of the house. She vaguely heard the concerned Lewis siblings from the other side, but she kept walking. Jordan had gone way too far. Simon was just trying to get his manga back. What's the harm in that? There was no need for Jordan's fist flying around the room!

Her dorky friend was right. The blaring of music reached her ears as soon as she stepped out of the bus. It wasn't hard to find the place. A tall church-like house loomed in front of her. It would've been more innocent looking like real churches, but the paper cups, cigarettes, and couples making out in the yard weren't at all innocent. She tried to blend in, but seeing as no one paid her attention (either because of her height or mere unnoticeable presence) she easily got into the loud building. Rock n Rolls music pierced her ears painfully, the smell of alcohol and smoke burned her nose, but the thing that made her skin crawl was the scene in front of her. Maia was wearing clothes that showed too much skin, and she was in a deep make out session with her boyfriend, Jordan.

Clary felt the rage building up inside her as she slapped her hand furiously against his arm. The couple broke apart in surprise, both glaring at her. Maia's lips turned into one of disgust as she eyed her plain jeans, paint smeared shirt and oversized coat. Yeah, probably wasn't the best choice of clothes. Jordan held the same expression.

"Well," Maia purred. "Look at what the cat dragged in."

"Jordan," Clary hissed. "May I have a word with you?"

"Uh, no thanks," He backed away. "I don't want to be seen with a geek. Anyways, why are you even here? I doubt you were invited."

"You punched my friend," Clary continued. "You better have a good reason for doing that."

"That glasses-wearing dork?" Jordan laughed. "Oh, that's rich. A geek defending a geek."

"Geeks don't belong here," Maia raised her chin in mockery. "Go and do your homework or something."

"I'm not finished with him," Clary pushed the taller guy's chest, but only managed to get him irritated. "Simon had a black eye because of you. Are you gonna apologize or what?"

"Hey, he walked in on us, okay? The punk deserved it." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't call him a punk," She gritted her teeth.

"What are ya gonna do about it?" Maia shoved her shoulder harshly, raising her arms in a challenge. "You're nothing but a sore loser. And losers are made as punching bags for us." She smirked. "So, it's entirely your fault if you come into our turf."

"Your turf?" Clary found unbelievable strength as she pushed Maia's shoulder in turn. The girl actually stumbled back. "It's a free country, damn it!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Maia stepped up until their noses were inches apart. Her brown eyes held a fire that should've made Clary quiver, but instead it made her stand her ground. "You have no business here. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want."

"Oh, you think you're a queen or something?" Clary suddenly snatched the backwards cap from Maia's head. She caught the girl's surprised and outraged stare before putting it on herself. There were some whistles and cat calls from the teens surrounding them, but she paid them no attention. "You think you're better than everyone, don't you?"

"Because I am, you bitch." Maia threw her jacket off, throwing it to the wide-eyed Jordan who had shifted away from the girls. A few boys whooped when they saw the girl's exposed stomach due to her very short grey tank top. "Better than you, anyway."

"Oh, I'm so scared," She also threw her coat, the rough material pooling around her feet.

"Bring it on, loser,"

The brunette threw her arms outwards, making a dive towards Clary's hair. Never before had the short girl been grateful for her lack of height. Since Maia was almost a head taller than her, she managed a quick dodge. Clary Fray, sixteen year old art geek, was having a fight with the school's popular girl. They were a clash of nails, screams, and hair as they flew around the hallway, the others cheering them on to bring in more entertainment.

Clary's hair felt like they were going to be pulled out any second until a voice boomed, "STOP IT!"

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Well, I had fun writing this chapter, but it's getting late so I'm gonna end it with a cliffy. Until next time!**

**What do you guys think about Maia so far?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wohoo! You guys are awesome! Keep giving me those reviews/follows/favs if ya'll want some very long chapters! ;)**

Alec pushed the two girls away from each other's claws. They were still thrashing and squirming to get away from his grip, but the boy had serious strength. His hands still held them in arm's length so their kicks and slaps never connected. There were a few disapproving shouts from some guys, but Alec just glared at them and they instantly zipped their lips.

"Let me punch her!" Maia screamed. "Just once! I promise I won't break anything besides her nose!"

Alec tossed her rather roughly back to Jordan who had smartly escaped to the front of the hallway, as far away from the scene as possible. Jordan caught her before she landed her face on the hard floor. "Next time you want to have a cat fight," Alec said calmly. "Do it somewhere else."

Maia seemed to have wanted to complain, but Alec suddenly turned to Clary and asked, "You okay?"

It took a moment before she actually registered that he was referring to _her_. With a squeaky voice, she said, "Yeah."

"Oh, you're defending that skank?" Jordan scoffed. "She doesn't even belong here!"

Alec's body went stiff, but because of what, Clary had no idea. His blue eyes were darker when he turned to face him. She could've sworn Jordan had whimpered. "Jordan Kyle, right?" He nodded slowly. "I want to ask you a few things. Is that okay with you?"

"Uhh…sure?"

"I heard you went to the nearby elementary school earlier, am I right?"

"Huh? How'd you know?"

Alec took a short step to him. "And then you met a little boy there, correct?"

Jordan gulped. "Dude, you're freaking me out. Are you some sort of mind reader?"

"No," Alec was directly in front of the quaking boy. "I just have a little brother who happens to go to that school."

"Okay," Jordan tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it came out as a shiver. "So?"

As fast as light, Alec's fist came slamming to the wall, an inch away from his head. The sound echoed throughout the house, making the entire place go silent. Even the music stopped. All breaths were held as they watched the suddenly angry Alec glaring daggers at Jordan. "That was my brother's lunch money you stole, you bastard!"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Jordan held up his hands in panic. "I didn't know he was your bro! I swear!"

"And that makes it okay for you to push him down and take the money right from his pockets?" He landed a second fist to the wall, this time closer to his skull.

Maia watched in pure fear as her boyfriend shook from head to toe. Their faces had lost all color. Only their chattering teeth indicated they haven't died from panic yet. The image should've made Clary feel triumph, happy, or victory even. But she felt none of those things. Instead, she felt worry. She was worried what Alec would do, so without another thought, she grabbed one of his outstretched arms.

"Alec," She whispered. "Enough."

For a brief second, he glared at her too, but was quickly wiped clean from his face when he saw the concern shining in her eyes. He took a shuddering breath before lowering his fists to his sides. The couple in front of them made a wild dash for the front door. In just seconds, the sound of a motorcycle's tires screeching the pavement was all the sound they needed to turn the music back up. Soon enough, the others forgot about them and continued partying.

Clary had no idea what to do to calm Alec down, so she was grateful when Isabelle and Jace came bursting into the hall.

_Jace_.

His blonde hair was as messy as ever, but in the cutest way that made him look like a baby lion. His golden eyes swept the corridor until they landed on her. Her power and confidence left her immediately after that. She was no longer the sassy girl a few minutes ago. She was back to being normal Clary. She was still not sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Izzy, go take care of Alec," Jace said.

"On it," She walked over to her brother, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. The two siblings talked about something behind her, but her eyes were trained on Jace's. She couldn't quite read his expression, which bothered her. Was he upset? Angry? Apprehensive?

He was suddenly in front of her, cupping his large hand to her cheek. The contact sent a pleasant jolt up her body. He hadn't touched or talked to her all week. Now that he was there, _right there, _she had no idea what to do. Her hands fumbled with the loose string from her shirt. God, what was she supposed to do?!

"You're hurt," Jace breathed.

"I am?" Her fingers fumbled faster.

"That Maia scratched your cheek. See?" He ran his index finger down the side of her face, inflicting a yelp from her. "Shit, I'm sorry. Did that sting?"

"No," Clary said truthfully. It really didn't hurt. It felt good, in fact. His hands were surprisingly gentle. Always so gentle. Despite his strong posture, he could also be soft and caring. Yes, that was the real him, deep down. She saw that part of him once or twice before, but she never had enough of it. The jerky side of him was occasionally funny, but this side she wanted to see more of. Why did he hide it? Why did he keep wearing that tough guy mask all the time? Couldn't he see that the boy in front of her right now was even more beautiful than all the others?

"Don't hide anymore," She found herself saying.

Jace's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Don't hide," She cleared her throat, the confident finally kicking in again. "I like this side of you better, you know."

"And what side is that?" His hand dropped, much to her dismay. But she didn't make a move to take it back.

"The side that actually cares about something." She took a step forward. He didn't move away. She could smell his cologne and minty breath. The golden orbs of his eyes bored into hers, but they were the most beautiful color she had ever seen. "Why do you hide that?"

A girl accidently bumped her from behind, sending her stumbling to Jace's chest. His arms came up protectively around her. Being surrounded by him, by his scent, by his arms, she was nearly overwhelmed. She felt…safe. She felt like she was finally home from years of being lost.

Jace suddenly backed away, keeping her at arm's length. "I'll take you to the kitchen. There's a first aid kit in one of the cabinets."

It took her a second to actually understand his words. By the time she could move her legs, he was halfway across the hall. The partygoers were making it a bit hard to move around. She almost lost him a couple of times, only finding him again by his disheveled blonde hair. She noticed some girls giggling and sending him flirtatious smiles as they went by. Jace rewarded the flirts with his girl-magnet grin. For some reason, her heart felt like it was being squeezed by giant hands.

They entered a brightly lit room with random teens having a soda drinking contest. So much for a private talk, Clary thought disappointedly. But then, when the guys saw who she was with, they decided to take their contest elsewhere. Huh. That's weird. Did they think they were−

No. No no no no no! "Don't tell me they thought we were here to make out!" She exclaimed.

Jace shrugged, laugher building up in his chest. "Probably."

"Sick." Clary feigned disgust as she seated herself on one of the stools. "As if, right?"

He just shrugged again before placing the white box of medical equipment down on the table. "How'd you get into a fight, huh?"

"Jordan gave Simon a black eye, so I confronted him."

"And you thought you could win?"

"I had to do _something_, you know."

He rolled his eyes as he started working on the injured skin. "If I had to bet, I would've bet a hundred dollars that you'd get your ass kicked."

"How sweet of you."

"Hey, be grateful it was Maia you faced. If it were Jordan, the results would have been a lot more painful."

"Yeah. She could really blow a punch."

"You're an idiot, Fray." He placed a small bandage to her cheek, finishing his job perfectly. "But I guess that's sort of nice."

"You like that I'm an idiot?" She jumped off the stool, immediately drowning from his height.

"It _is_ funny to watch. But you should really get your head into reality. I mean, you would risk getting your bones broken just for a friend?"

"Well, yeah. Simon's, like, the most important thing ever for me. Why wouldn't I get hurt for him?"

He laughed without humor. "Right. Everyone says that, Clary. But none of them actually mean it. That's just empty promises."

Clary unconsciously took a step back. "Not everyone's like that, Jace."

"Listen, nobody would actually risk their lives for someone. That stuff just happens in TV. In real life? All you're doing is waiting for the next person to turn their back on you."

She tried to catch the joke in his words, the sarcastic tone, but none was shown. Instead, seriousness colored his features. He meant every word he said. "People who love you wouldn't just walk away." She tried to reason with him.

"Yeah, that's the thing," He shrugged. "The word 'love' is just false hope. They just tell you they love you so they can throw you away afterwards. To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be destroyed. That's the cold hard truth."

He was going to leave until Clary spoke up, "I'm going to prove you wrong. I'll break those walls you built around yourself. I'll show you that people aren't as heartless as you think. I'm going to prove it all."

**Okay! So, I'm gonna go on vacation tomorrow, and there's a mountain of homework from school. I'm very sorry, my lovely readers, but I won't update as soon as you might like. But keep in mind I'll do whatever I can! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**I love vacations! I feel refreshed! But now homework is getting in the way of my schedule. NOOOOO! I'm sorry guys, but quick updates won't come anytime soon. Please be patient, my lovely readers!**

The History books were precariously balanced on Clary's small arms. Her locker was a few feet away until they skittered to the floor. Her eyes snapped up to see the angry face of Maia Roberts. She was missing her cap, which Clary had stolen the night before. The cap was a sort of prize to her. But right then, she wished she had it so she could give it back and somehow wipe the rage from Maia's face.

Maia slammed the heel of her foot onto Clary's textbook. "Oops," She smirked. "My bad."

"Listen, Maia," Clary said carefully. "I don't want any trouble. Can't we just forget about the party?"

"Forget about it?" The girl cackled. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was? My locker has 'LOSER' written on it!"

"It'll fly by. Jeez, Maia, image isn't everything." She made a move to pick up her scattered books, but Maia was faster. She kicked it before Clary's hand made contact, sending it flying to the other end of the hall.

"Maybe you don't care what people think." Maia growled. "But I do!"

"For one, you started it!" Clary was up on her feet, returning the glare. "You were the one pushing me past the limit!"

"Oh, please! I'm supposed to take this from an art geek? Like I said at the party, you losers are just punching bags for us! The popular kids will _always_ win."

"Not always," Just like that, the redhead walked over to her discarded book.

"Hey!"

Clary picked up another book.

"Shorty, I'm talking to you!"

By then, all the books were picked up and shoved calmly into her locker. The whispered warnings rang in her ear, but she didn't pay them any attention.

That was a mistake.

Maia slammed her against the rows of lockers, affectively banging her head against the hard metal. Dark spots danced at the corners of her visions. Her cheek throbbed from the impact. "Don't ever," Maia snarled from behind her, "ignore me when I'm talking."

The headache forming in her head must've been serious, because Clary was suddenly laughing. She should've been afraid, mortified. But instead, she was _laughing_. She didn't see the threat Maia was throwing at her for some reason. Yes, the girl was much stronger than her. She was taller, too. She had authority on her side. Almost the entire student body was cheering for her to pulverize the shrimp. All that, and Clary wasn't the slightest bit worried.

Maia saw the craziness, too. She looked confused at first, but then her expression turned triumph. "What, did I scare you so much you've gone insane?" She and the others laughed.

"Laugh at me all you want." This wasn't the girl Clary knew. The strong, independent girl standing in front of Maia Roberts couldn't be the girl she looked at the mirror every day. The freckled, short, and red-haired girl wasn't this confident. She wasn't complaining, though. "I don't care what people like you think of me. I'm just a runt to you all. A filthy dog in the streets. But you know what? I _like_ it. I like being myself. I don't need to be different."

"Oh, good for you. 'Cause I don't think you would change anyway, no matter what you do. I mean, look at yourself!" The laughter erupted again. It bounced off the walls and pounded in her eardrums. The crowd was getting thicker by the minute, watching Maia make a fool of her. However, her stance didn't waver. Her eyes never left Maia. She stood tall in front of them all, accepting the insults. Because, to put it in a simple way, she just didn't care. She didn't care about the laughing audience, the humiliation, or the words tumbling out of Maia's tongue. For once in her life, she felt powerful. The jeers she was getting meant nothing to her.

"Am I supposed to cry right now?" Clary asked sarcastically.

The voices and echoes slowly subsided into a perfect silence.

"I'm not scared of you, Maia. For whatever reason you want to destroy me, it's not gonna work. You can talk all you want. I'm not going to listen to all those nonsense you gossip about. Honestly, I think you do that because you think _you're_ the one who's weak."

Maia flinched at the word 'weak'.

"That's it, isn't it? You don't want to be weak, so you make others weaker. In reality, you're not even a little bit strong. You're just good at making people think otherwise."

"Just shut up!"

"All you do is hide in the shadows and when you're threatened you stab them in the back and take all the glory. Tell me, is that what strong is?"

"Stop it!"

"You make everyone think they're at the bottom of the pyramid when in reality you're not even _part_ of it!"

"I said stop!"

She was too fast. Maia's fingers were on her throat before she could duck out of the way. Her back hit the wall, pushing the air right out of her lungs. Clary's tiny hands clawed at Maia's, but she was outraged. The anger was clear in her eyes. But they were shining with unshed tears.

Clary was on the verge of collapsing when a pale hand pulled Maia away. She screamed and cursed and kicked, but the teachers were holding her in place. Instinctively, Clary touched her neck. It stung at the contact of her fingers.

"What in Heaven's name is going on?" Principal Imogen yelled.

No one dared to open their mouths.

"Fine." The frail woman took hold of both of the girls' arms. "I'll get the information out of you two."

Clary could've faced a pack of wolves, a starving lion, or a dozen rats and they still wouldn't beat the intensity of Imogen's stare. The old woman sat across from the two girls on her polished desk. Not once has Clary been inside the principal's office. She always thought it wouldn't be that bad since it was just another person. Well, a person who had the power to kick you out of the school, but still a person.

"I want the whole story." Imogen demanded.

They remained quiet.

"Do you wish for your parents to be called?" She reached out to the phone at the corner of her table, but neither of them even cringed. "What is wrong with children these days?!"

"My dad's out of the country." Clary shrugged. "He won't come no matter how many times you call him."

"Like hell mine would pick up the phone." Maia crossed her arms.

"Ugh," The principal massaged her forehead. "You teenagers are always so conflicting."

"Can we go now?" Maia yawned. Clary elbowed her in the ribs. She shot her a glare.

"Not until this predicament is finished. I won't have my students strangling each other!"

"It won't happen again, I promise." Clary said. She faintly heard Maia scoff beside her.

"Oh, you have no idea how many students have said those words to me, miss Fray. So, I will see you both in detention. And _maybe_ we will get some solutions."

**Sooooo short…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Anyone here good at making a lantern from a soccer ball?**

The _tap tap tap_ from Maia's impatient foot annoyed Clary beyond belief.

The Principal had shoved them into that tiny room to "work things out with each other" right after the school bell rang. Obviously, Imogen wasn't aware of how stubborn Maia could be. The girl had literally sunk into her seat as far away from her as possible, saying absolutely nothing as the clock ticked by. Only the sounds of their breathing, Maia's foot-tapping, and the occasional sigh. Oh yeah, Clary thought miserably, things are going _very_ well, Principal Imogen.

Well, she guessed it didn't really matter what time she got home. It wasn't like Valentine will be lounging on the couch, newspaper in hand. It wasn't like she would be lectured by him, or grounded because she got detention. It wasn't like he would come into her room at night, pat her head to keep her from pouting at him, and apologize for being too harsh. No, none of those fatherly acts will be given to her when she got home. It simply never happened in the longest period of time.

The bitter thought sent a pang of grief to her chest. Why couldn't he be like any other fathers out there? Why couldn't he take his little girl to the amusement park, buy her cotton candy, and lift her onto his shoulders when she was younger? Why did he leave her out on so many things, while the other girls experienced it all the time?

All those thoughts, but somehow, she wasn't angry. No, anger was the last thing she felt. Valentine was away from her most of the time, which was true. But when he _was_ there, he'd buy her a new limited edition sketchbook, take her wherever she wanted to go, and hug her tightly before he got into another plane the next day. He wouldn't win 'the best father in the world', but at least he tried to be a good one when he could.

"When will we be able to get out of this place?" Maia's sudden outburst shocked Clary so much that she actually smacked her knee against the desk, a high-pitched yelp resonating in her throat. Maia gave her a quizzical look. "I don't know if I should pity you or laugh at you right now, Fray."

"Feel free to shut your mouth and just wait for those doors to open."

"Oh, you want to have another go with me?"

"Please, stealing your cap was as easy as stealing Simon's juice box!"

"You are _so_ going down, freak!"

Maia was about to jump at her when suddenly, the door creaked opened. They were expecting the old woman to barge in and kick them out, but instead a young man stood with his hand on the doorknob. He had dark messy hair, honey-colored skin, and hypnotic brown eyes. He couldn't be any older than Jonathon, by the looks of it. He looked like he belonged in a child's fairy tale book. His appearance was handsome as those of a prince.

Maia froze in place, the color completely drained from her face.

"Did I interrupt something?" The boy asked with a grin.

"Um, who are you?" Clary blurted out.

"Daniel Roberts," He walked pass Maia and shook Clary's outstretched hand. "I'm Maia's older brother."

"Her brother?" Clary turned to Maia, who hadn't moved a muscle. "I never knew you had a brother."

Maia was silent. Her fists were trembling beside her thighs. What was wrong with her?

"Ah, she probably doesn't want to brag," Daniel laughed. He wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders, making the girl gulp. "Right, Maia?"

She only nodded silently.

"Well, we better get going. I talked to Principal Imogen so you two can go home." He tried to pull Maia with him to the door, but she stood right where she was. He gave her a look. "Maia, it's time to go home."

"I thought you were at college." Maia whispered. Her voice strangely shook with restraint.

"I got home early. Is that a problem?" He tugged on her arm, but she still didn't obey.

"I-I can get a ride home by myself." Finally, she moved. She grabbed her backpack from the floor, pushed Daniel out of the way, and sprinted out the room. Daniel cursed silently and ran after her.

Now, it was Clary's turn to be immobilized. What the Hell just happened? Daniel seemed to be a nice guy, but Maia was clearly uncomfortable. She actually stopped from attacking her when he had entered the room. She had never seen Maia so frightened, so distraught. Usually, she was collected and cool and just plain rebellious. But after seeing her shaking behind her brother's back, Clary knew something was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

Without another thought, she grabbed her own backpack and started her search for the Roberts. The hall was deserted, but she faintly heard voices from somewhere. She followed it to a corridor that led to the parking lot. Maia's pleading voice was clearer now. She was…crying? No way, Maia Roberts never cries.

Clary hurried her footsteps. The freezing almost-winter air slapped her, but the only thing she noticed was Maia curled on the floor, and Daniel holding up his belt. Clary jumped when the leather made contact with Maia's bare arm. The girl in front of her screamed but didn't try to fight back. When Daniel looked up, his angry expression turned into confusion, shock, and then back to the mask she had seen in the detention room.

"O-Oh, hi," He hurriedly hid the belt behind his back. "Um, Maia was uh…"

At his feet, Maia struggled to sit upright. Angry marks lined the skin of her arms. When she turned her face to look at the redhead, she saw that her face was streaked with tears. Clary's legs brought her to Maia's side, carefully draping her arm over her shoulders. Together, they stood slowly, none of them speaking but still having the same intentions.

They had to get out of there.

"Clary," Daniel started. "I was−"

"Save the bullshit, Daniel," Clary spat viciously. She felt Maia squeeze her shoulder in a silent warning.

Daniel's face contorted into rage. "You know, it won't make a difference if I beat up another girl. Have any idea who that would be?" He lunged at Clary, but Maia pushed her out of his way, sending her rolling across the rough pavement.

"Run!"

"In here!" They slammed the door open with their shoulders, sending it into the wall harshly. They closed and locked it just in time before Daniel came, banging the old wood with his foot.

"How do we get out of here?" Clary panted.

"I was hoping you had the answer," Maia backed away silently, finally dropping herself onto a near chair. "God, how could he be home? He was supposed to stay in college until Christmas!"

Behind them, Daniel had stopped his attempt of getting the door to open. They faintly heard his retreating footsteps and a few muttered curses. But they couldn't risk going out there and get beaten by a psychopath brother. So, taking her chances with Maia instead, she sat across from her, giving a comfortable space between them.

"Maia," Clary whispered gently. The girl lifted her head. "You were abused by him, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"You never told anyone?"

"My parents wouldn't believe a single word I said about him. He has that disgusting, innocent look that people would just fall in love with. The last thing they'd expect him to be is a brother who almost killed his own sister on a daily basis."

"The scars?"

"Daniel threatened me that if I show them to anyone, he'd hunt me down and cut my tongue with a butter knife." She visibly shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "He finds it amusing to hear me scream, to beg for him to stop. He loved filling my closet with spiders or rats, mixing my sandwich with worms – and that was only his morning routine! When mom and dad aren't home, he'd…"

Clary sat at the very edge of her chair. "What did he do to you?"

"He hurts me. He beats the shit out of me with a belt, or sometimes with razors. I tried to run, but he always finds me." Maia hastily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "The day he went off to college was the best day of my life. He was finally gone."

"Does Jordan know?"

"Yes. I only talked about it with him. He tried to confront him, tried to stand up for me, but he…" She swallowed visibly. "Jesus, can we stop? Please, I don't…"

"It's okay," Reaching out a tentative hand, Clary pulled her into a gentle embrace. It seemed weird, hugging her like that, but at the same time she knew she had to. Maia was clearly losing it. It was obvious from the way she trembled, the tears she kept inside, and the unmistakable sorrow in her eyes.

They both jumped when the door shook on its hinges.

"He's here," Maia whimpered on Clary's shoulder.

Standing up slowly, Clary plucked a chair from the floor, carrying it with her to the door.

"What the hell are you doing, Fray?"

"I'll surprise him, that's what." The door shook more, making Clary's heart race twice as fast. She held the doorknob with a quaking hand, and the chair with the other. Her breaths were short and quick, cold sweat running down the side of her neck. She was aware of Maia sobbing behind her, but she had to focus on the task at hand.

The click of a lock sounded, and the door swung open.

**Cliffy! Sorry, gotta keep you guys interested, am I right? Anyone?**

**What will happen to the two girls? Are they really gonna be captured and get a belt to the back? Let's find out in the next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**

**I've been buried by homework, group assignments and exams! I apologize to my lovely readers! I'll try to update much more frequently!**

The little boy screamed as the chair flew over his head − barely missing his hair – and the sound of wood hitting the tiled floor. He fell backwards onto his butt, trembling visibly at Clary's attack.

"What the hell?" Clary's jaw dropped, just when the boy started crying. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" She squatted in front of him, moving her hands frantically to check any bruises. "A-Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," He sniffed.

A sigh of relief escaped Clary's lips.

"Fray, who is it?" Maia stood behind her, eyeing the still crying boy. "Is he lost?"

"No," He pulled off his big glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I-I came to g-get my sister's notebook." He held up the key that he had used to unlock the door.

Maia helped him stand up while wiping dust from his bottom. "Kid, now's not the time. You should go home _right now_."

"But the notebook−"

"Forget the stupid book!"

He cringed a bit at Maia's loud voice. Clary cleared her throat. "Look, it's not safe here, kid. You have to go home, okay?"

"But Izzy will steal my chocolate bar if I don't bring it back!"

"Listen, you little−"

Maia made a move to probably throw him out the door, but Clary stopped her.

"Izzy? As in Isabelle Lightwood?"

"You know her?"

Clary swallowed thickly. She first heard of him from the party at the Lightwood's house, when Alec had lashed out at Jordan about stealing his little brother's money. Was it possible for the other Lightwoods to be there? The idea both made her relieved and terrified. Daniel could come back at any moment.

"Did you come here alone?" Maia asked. "Do you have anyone to take you back?"

"Jace is waiting for me in the parking lot."

There was that name again. Jace. It made her stomach flip a little from the thought of him leaning against his car, expecting his little brother to come back after a few minutes. It was tempting to just run outside and let him take her away. But one look at Maia's hopeful face, she couldn't be selfish in this. She had to take _all_ of them out.

"Let's go!"

~0~0~

The two girls ran for the exit, leading the confused Lightwood by the arm. So far, there was no sign of Daniel. Maybe he had left? They didn't know for sure, and they certainly couldn't take any chances. Their steps became frantic and wobbly from the fear of him coming back.

Finally, they pushed open the front door, immediately spotting Jace with his car.

And Daniel.

The boys were talking casually together beside the black vehicle.

"Jace!" The little Lightwood ran up to his brother's side, leaving Clary and Maia gawking at the impossible scene in front of them. Max looking up curiously at Daniel. "Who's this?"

Maia's face went white as paper when she caught her brother's eyes.

"That's Daniel. Just met him a couple of minutes ago." Jace tilted up his chin at him. "Daniel, this is Max."

Daniel gave him one of his sweet smiles. "Hey there, Max."

"Hi," Max said hesitantly. Weirdly, he wasn't mirroring the older boy's smile. Max had a line between his thin brows as he examined him. He took a step back. "Jace, can we go now?"

"Did you get the book?"

"No," Max glanced back to the girls standing motionlessly across from them. "Can we give them a ride?"

For the first time, Jace looked at them and his brows shot up. "Clary, Maia, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, they got detention." Daniel chuckled. "I came to pick them up, you see." He shot them a warning look with his eyes. "Right, girls?"

Clary's body wouldn't respond. Her voice was stuck in her throat. Her mind was whirling with thoughts but none of them made sense as they blurred together.

Before she could respond, Maia had nodded her head.

"So, I'll see you guys later then," Daniel waved politely at the Lightwoods before moving slowly towards the now zombie-like girls.

"Jace, can we give them a ride in the car?" Max suddenly repeated his question.

Daniel stopped momentarily, a dark look passing over his face but was quickly wiped off.

"But Daniel's giving them a ride." Jace said, his brows now furrowed in confusion.

Max looked at them again, a silent question in his gaze. With all the courage Clary had left, she nodded. "Jace knows where I live so it'd be best if we go with him instead."

Maia's head whipped to the side, staring at the shorter girl with pure shock. Quickly, Clary added, "And Maia wanted to come over! You know, uh, for a project."

"Jace, can we?" Max looked pleadingly up at him.

At first, the fear of him declining was overwhelming. If Daniel really did beat his sister up, what was there to stop him from doing something so much worse to her? He could lock her up in the closet, never to see the sunlight again, and all he had to do was show off that fake smile and everyone would believe that he had done nothing wrong. Sweat trickled down her neck as she waited for Jace to answer. His expression was clearly perplexed. His eyes darted from his brother, to Daniel, to Maia (who was close to passing out), and finally to her. She held his gaze longer than necessary, and she prayed to God that he'd get the urgent message through her eyes.

"Okay," Jace said after the long silence. "Hop in the car."

If Clary thought those expert track runners in gym class were fast, then Maia's speed would be of a cheetah's. The girl was next to her one second, and the next she was throwing Jace's backseat door open and jumping inside.

Daniel, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. "My mom and dad had instructed me to take Maia home."

But Jace wasn't listening. He guided Clary and Max to the car, slowly opening the passenger seat open for Max. When Clary was sliding into the backseat next to Maia, Daniel's rough hands wrapped around her arm, pulling her out with a grunt.

"Clary!" Maia tried to grasp her hand, but their fingers barely touched.

"Get your hands off her!" Jace yelled.

Her back was pressed firmly to his chest, her arms locked at her sides. His arm that kept her in place by the stomach was as strong as steel. His other arm pushed at her neck, nearly choking her. "Just give me Maia!" Daniel snarled.

His arm pressed harder at her neck, making her gasp, taking in as much air as she could. The pressure was making her see stars.

Jace saw this, and it seemed to have broken his self-control as he lunged at him.

Daniel was a fast thinker though.

"You come any closer and I'll snap her neck!" He threatened.

Jace instantly stopped mid-punch.

"Now, be a good boy and hand over my sister."

Maia was quaking in fear, her face tear-stained as she curled up into a ball. "Don't!" She screamed. "Please, he'll kill me!"

Everything became a blur at that point. Clary's vision danced with black spots, her head already feeling heavy. She tried to inhale, but it came out a strained whine. Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew Jace was clenching and unclenching his fists, trying desperately to remain calm. But she could see the fire and rage in his eyes.

A shadow was emerging from behind him. It was so small and quick she barely saw it. It didn't seem like Jace nor did Daniel notice either. Was it her imagination?

"I'm going to count to three and you better get Maia out of that car." Daniel spoke. "One…"

His grip tightened on her, nearly crushing her. "Two…"

Before he could even take a breath, a loud cry of pain and shock pierced the air.

Clary fell onto the pavement, clutching her throat and coughing for air. Max ran to her side, tugging her arm frantically. "Come on! Come on!" He was screaming.

Her feet planted themselves to the ground firmly despite her exhaustion and they all ran to the car, slamming the door shut. Within seconds, the tires screeched loudly against the road, leaving a furious Daniel limping to the school gates and cursing loudly at them. But they were already long gone.

Clary was sitting in the backseat with Maia. The other girl hadn't calmed down. It seemed like she was in a big state of shock. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees which she had pulled close to her chest. She didn't make a sound as she rocked back and forth.

"Max," Jace suddenly panted. His knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel. "I love you for kicking that guy in the back of the knee, but never, and I mean _never_ scare the shit out of me again!"

Max slumped against his own leather seat, clearly tired and scared, but his voice was clear as he said, "I couldn't let him hurt her."

"So you snuck out from the passenger seat and nearly gave us all a heart attack with that stunt you pulled?"

"What was I supposed to do, Jace?"

"Oh gee, I don't know, stay in the damn car and let me handle it?"

"But-"

"GUYS!" Clary piped in. She attentively pulled Maia's head to her shoulder, hoping it would ease the fear from her. "We're right here!"

"Sorry," The boys murmured.

"Max," Clary touched his dark hair soothingly. "Thank you for what you did back there. You saved me."

"No problem," Max grinned. "It was so cool though! Like I was a super hero! Oh, or a ninja in real life!"

She laughed softly, hiding the sting that erupted in her still-sore throat. "The name's Clary, by the way. This is Maia." She squeezed her shoulder, sighing in relief when she felt Maia starting to relax.

"Okay, if you're all done, I'd like to ask a few questions." Jace interrupted. "There are a ton of them, as you may know, but the first one that I'm gonna ask is: Where are we heading?"

"My place." Clary said quickly. "We'll talk there. Um, Max?"

"Don't worry. I'm dropping _him_ off at home."

"BUT-"

"No buts, Max."

"Aw, man."

~0~0~

After dropping the little Lightwood home, they sped up to Clary's house. They crawled out of the vehicle, helping poor Maia into the building without dropping her head onto the front steps. Clary instructed Jace to put her on the couch while she went into the kitchen to get some water for her. A minute later, Maia was slowly sipping it until some color returned to her skin. She dropped the cup with a thump on the coffee table.

"Thanks," She mumbled.

"So, Maia Roberts," Jace said slowly. "Let me get this straight. That guy back there was you _brother?_"

"Yes."

"Did he come out of mental hospital or what? The guy's deranged!"

"He doesn't show that part of him to anyone, usually. He only shows violence to me. I guess since Clary saw him beating me, and he thought she'll tell you and your brother about it, he panicked and started attacking."

"Yup, I rest my case. That Daniel boy is nuts."

Clary elbowed him in the ribs.

Jace winced.

"Anyways," Maia continued. "I suppose Max saw something fishy about him. I mean, I heard kids have this power to know if someone's bad and all that. It's a good thing he had the guts to defend us, or else we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"Maia, we have to report him to the police," Clary touched Maia's hand gingerly. "I know he's abusing you. Jace knows. Max knows. Even Jordan-"

"No!" Maia suddenly yelled. "Please, don't tell him about today!"

"Why not? He's your boyfriend, isn't he? He can protect you!"

"I don't want to pull him into this! Not after…" Her eyes suddenly became glassy and distant, as if she was reliving a horrible memory of her past. A minute passed until she finally swallowed thickly and continued, "Jordan can't find out."

"Okay, one: You're making no sense. And two: How are you going to hide this from him? He's bound to find out sooner or later, what with your weird gloomy mood." Jace commented.

"I'll stay away from him," She stated flatly.

"Maia, Jace's right." Clary internally cursed when she caught his smirk.

"Fray," Maia looked at her desperately. "Can I crash at your place? Just until he goes back to college at New Years?"

"WHAT?"

"Come on! This house can fit three families!"

"You're seriously asking me to let you stay here? After you practically bullied me these last couple of days?"

"God, I'm sorry, okay? But I'm seriously serious here, Fray. I can't go back home, and staying at Jordan's is not an option anymore. Where else am I supposed to go?"

"But…but…" Clary looked at Jace in exasperation. Being the helpful human that he was, he simply shrugged and held up his hands in surrender. "…Okay, fine! But I'm gonna get some ground rules here and-"

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Maia launched herself at her in a tight bear hug that almost squeezed the life out of her. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, FRAY!"

The few minutes after that, Maia was running up and down the stairs, going back and forth from bedroom to bedroom and tried to pick the most spacious one. She tried to claim Clary's room, but seeing as she was already pushing things, she decided to go with the room next to hers. Luckily, they were almost the same size so clothes weren't that much of an issue. There was a spare toothbrush in the cabinet, too. So yeah, things weren't all that bad.

Maia had passed out on her new bed, curling herself under the comforter. That just left Clary and Jace, alone, in front of the door. "Thanks for the ride. And the help." Clary said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Anytime, Red." He smiled slowly. "But, I have a confession to make."

"What?"

"Remember the party? Well, actually, you were invited. By Izzy."

"Wait, what? But I-"

"Yeah, I'm aware that you weren't told. That's because she gave me the job of telling you and your little glasses-wearing friend."

"And you didn't…"

"No. I didn't. I stayed quiet."

Clary took an involuntary step back. "Why?"

"For Simon, well, I don't really like him. As for you…"

"What, Jace?" Clary's anger was suddenly bubbling up in her chest. "What's wrong with me that you kept your distance all this time? Ever since the incident, you did nothing but ignore me! Really, _what is wrong with me?"_

"I never said that it was you!" Jace's own voice raised in volume. "If you would just listen-"

"Listen to your bullshit? Jace, didn't you realize that I was wondering? That I was asking myself what the hell I did wrong to make you push me away so suddenly? I kept seeing you in the hallway, in class, and you _never_ looked at me!"

"I did!" He stepped closer to her. "And it was driving me insane! Since I saw you sketch in Garroway Café, I couldn't stop looking at you!" Another step. "Your fiery hair," His voice got lower with the third step. "Those grass-green eyes," He was whispering then. "And God, those freckles." Clary didn't realize she was getting backed up until she felt her back hit the hard oak of the door. His eyes bored into her skull, making her unable to look away. Even if she could, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"You weren't my type," He continued. "Heck, you couldn't even be _close_ to those I've been with-"

"Thanks for the compliment," Clary grumbled.

"_But_ you showed this spirit. I'm still not sure what, but you were glowing with it. When you walked up to the counter that day, my eyes went to you like a magnet. I brushed it off once you left, but when you came again the next day, I wanted – no, I _needed_ to know your name."

His lips were ghosting over her cheeks and nose, lightly brushing her freckles with his breath. It smelled like peppermint and spice. "I wanted to touch each of those freckles, you know."

"Jace…"

"No, let me finish." He silenced her with a finger to her lips. "But then, in class, when I tried to make a move, you freaked out. Shit, you scared the living life out of me! I came back to you and said I'd keep my hands to myself next time. But it was harder than I thought. I don't know why, but each time I saw you, I just wanted to…I don't know, get to know you better. _That_ would completely shatter my promise of keeping things cool between us. So…I thought not seeing you for awhile would fix that."

"Did it work?" She asked breathlessly.

He shook his head slowly. "No, not even a little bit."

Feeling bold, she placed her hands on his strong arm. "You can, you know. I won't be upset if you want to know me. I'm fine with it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I am. It's okay, Blonde Boy."

He chuckled. Unbearably slow, he pressed a tender kiss to her nose. He moved up until he was kissing her forehead. Her breath stuttered when he cradled her face in his hands like she was a precious jewel. She sighed his name when he put a little more pressure with his careful lips. But there was a nagging feeling in her heart. She tried to ignore it, but it was screaming at her to stop, to push him away, to slow down. Her selfish mind, though, wanted him to stay. She liked the way he held her so gently. She liked the way he smiled into her hair when she ran her hands to the tops of his shoulders. As wrong as it all may seem, she liked it.

Her conscience wouldn't cease its warnings. It rang in her ears, but she couldn't make out what was wrong with this. If anything, she felt content. She tried to search her brain for something wrong, but it was fuzzy. Only when he whispered, "Clary…" did she remember.

Clary suddenly pushed his chest back slowly, her face as red as her hair.

Jace raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I…I have a boyfriend, Jace."

**Quote of the day:**

**I don't want to say a quote I got from someone else. Wouldn't it be so much more beautiful if I told you my own sweet words?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments (Sadly…)**

When the declaration came out, all he could do was step back, give a short nod of goodbye and went out the door. The rest was all a blur. What was Clary thinking? Sure, she and Jon were having a pause with their relationship, but he was waiting for her, dammit! And there she was, letting another guy kiss her face. And the worst part? She had momentarily _forgotten_ about Jonathon!

She was exhausted beyond comparison, so she decided to drop herself onto her bed, praying that in the morning she'll forget everything. Forget Jace and his warm lips on her nose, forget Daniel trying to strangle her in a parking lot, and forget Maia who was now her roommate.

Okay, who was she kidding? She will _never_ get over that!

That's why, the next day at school, she was relieved to see things getting back to normal. Simon was still drooling over Isabelle, Jace was being an obnoxious blond, and Maia was…oh wait, not everything was normal. Poor little Clary couldn't seem to shake her away. The girl kept sticking at her side no matter how much pushing Clary did. Maia kept well away from Kaelie, Seelie, and especially Jordan. They were confused and shocked at their friend's sudden behavior of hanging out with "the geeks" but Maia paid no attention. She wore Clary's wardrobe for that day, due to her clothes either at home or at Jordan's. So, to add the weirdness of their newfound friendship, Maia wore a T-shirt that had "Cats Rule 101" printed on it, paint-splattered blue jeans, and her cap (which Clary had given back).

Even at lunch, when Maia sat down between Clary and Simon, he gawked at her like she grew a second head. And to all of their surprise, she fit in quite well. She talked to them as if they were best buds since elementary school. Them, mixed with the Lightwoods, didn't seem like the sort of gang you'd see in high school. Two geeks, two major hot girls, and two major hot boys wrapped up in one lunch table. Yeah, could it get any more awkward?

When Maia and Isabelle were discussing a scene that happened in Twilight, Simon couldn't take it anymore. "What in the name of bacon is going on here? Has the moon fallen to the sun? Are the penguins moving to Africa? Is yogurt not fat-free?"

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Maia snorted.

"I mean…" He waved his arms frantically at her, trying to make a game of charade. "You're eating lunch with us!"

"So?" Maia scoffed. "Maybe I needed some new faces. I'm getting kinda sick with those two bitches I call best girl friends." She cocked her head at the two cheerleaders laughing at the far end of the wall.

Alec gave Jace a look, but he just shrugged like he had no idea. Liar.

"Why the sudden mood change, though? Had a fight with your group of so-called friends?" Alec questioned.

"Nahhh, I just got sick of them." Maia shrugged, taking a big gulp of soda. Liar, too.

"Well, I'm certainly not complaining!" Izzy piped in. "I mean, just yesterday it was only me and Clary. We girls were outnumbered here! And now, Maia's in the group so now we're even."

"Seriously? You could've taken any upside to this, and you chose balanced numbers?" Jace raised a perfect eyebrow.

Clary immediately looked down at her lap when his gaze met hers. Yeah, she could handle playful pencil-stealing in class or jokes in the halls, but when it came to eye contact, she had to pull back. The memory of his soft and gentle kisses still poked at her mind whenever she saw him. God, what was happening to her? When Jon had first kissed her, it didn't give her such after-effects. When it happened, she didn't think about it much like now. Yes, she was giddy and extremely fangirl-mode, but not to the extent that she couldn't even look at the guy! Something was seriously wrong.

"I say we make another party!" Isabelle suddenly announced.

"No way!" Alec interrupted sharply. "That last party didn't turn out so well. Max had waaaayyyy too much sugar! It took me hours to put him to bed!"

"Relax, it's not that kind of party. Plus, who said any of you," She pointed at Jace, Alec, and Simon, "are invited? I totally meant a girls' night party!"

"I'm in!" Maia raised her arm in excitement. "Slumber party! Jesus, I haven't been in one of those in ages!"

"I know, right?" Isabelle looked at Clary expectantly. "You're coming, aren't you?"

"Me?"

"Duh, you!"

"But…"

"Look, I'm sorry you didn't get the invitation to the last party." She paused to glare at Jace. "But I'm asking you right now if you're game for a one night sleepover at my place this Friday night?"

"We'll totally hang out on Saturday, too!" Maia added.

Underneath the table, Clary's leg was bouncing furiously. A sleepover? With real girls? The only "sleepover" she ever had was with Simon when they were kids. It didn't involve cheesy romance movies and Truth or Dare – just building a mega cool fort out of sheets and having anime marathons. What would it be like to have an _actual_ slumber party with two girls?

"Will there be popcorn?"

"There will be popcorn."

"What the heck. Count me in!"

~0~0~

Clary packed a mountain of things into her small duffle bag. It was her first time sleeping over at a girl's place, so she didn't know what to bring. Would she need to bring nail-polish? Or extra socks? What about sweets?

She flew around her room, checking to see if anything was important to take. In her mind, she knew perfectly well she was overdoing it, but she was completely clueless. Simon's room was like her second home since they were kids. They had sleepovers all the time. But that was a normal boy-girl-best-friend thing. Now that actual girls, not to mention _popular_ girls were inviting her to a slumber party, she was nervous. Ridiculous, she knew, but what's a geek to do?

Her phone vibrated inside her jeans pocket. Zipping the bag firmly, she fished it out and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Clarissa?"

"DAD?"

She heard her father chuckle at the other end. "How's my little girl doing?"

"I-I'm great." Clary grinned. "Dad, I've missed you!"

"Missed you, too, sweetie." She could imagine her old man smiling happily at the phone. "How are things? Are you behaving?"

"Everything is fine, dad. School's a pain, but I manage, as usual. Simon's being the lovable geek that he is. All in all, things are normal. What about you, dad?"

"Work is piling up, unfortunately. I'm sorry I couldn't call all week."

"It's fine. I understand." She prayed to God that he couldn't sense the bitterness in her voice.

"And…the reason I'm calling…"

"Hmm?"

"I won't be able to come home on the holidays like I promised."

"_What?_ But−"

"Yes, I know I promised. But there's so much to do here and I don't know if I can make it home until it's finished."

"I haven't seen you in months! Are you expecting me to spend Christmas and New Years alone?"

"Oh, Clarissa, you won't be alone. The Lewis family always celebrates it with you, don't they? Then there's Luke−"

"You promised you'll come home!"

He sighed in defeat, clearly not making any progress. "I'm so sorry, Clarissa. But the company−"

"It's always been 'the company this' and 'the company that'! You're always making excuses and I'm so sick of it!" Clary kicked her scattered clothes on the floor in frustration.

"Watch the tone, Clarissa." Valentine warned. "It's not because I don't love you, I do but−"

"You love the company more."

She heard him take a sharp intake of breath. "Clary," He whispered slowly. "That's not true and you know it."

"It seems like it sometimes. It's like you prefer working rather than spend time with your daughter." A tear escaped her eye at the last sentence.

"We've been over this countless of times! I'm working so you can have a bright future ahead of you!"

"And what's the point of it if you can't see me _getting_ my bright future?" Clary's voice was almost a shout. "Maybe I want you to just buy me a cake on my birthday instead of a crystal vase. Maybe I want to just decorate a Christmas tree with you instead of getting ten boxes of presents. Maybe I just want my parents back!"

"Clary−"

"You've never shown any fatherly love for me! It's always your office door in my face or a phone call separating us. Sometimes I question if you love me or just think of me as an obligation!"

"Enough!" Valentine bellowed. "We will continue our conversation later. I have a meeting to attend to."

Before she could scream at him again, the phone went dead. And, if she was being honest with herself, a small piece of her also fell dead.

**Family angst. Yeah, gotta love that.**

**Quote of the day:**

**I can't promise that I can stop your pain. But maybe I could hold your tears.**


End file.
